KS3 the slave trade - working on plantations

History Quiz - The Slave Trade 02 (Questions)

Learn about the Middle Passage, the horrific journey enslaved Africans were forced to make across the Atlantic, and how historians study these experiences today.

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Fascinating Fact:

Disease, violence, and terrible conditions on board meant that many enslaved Africans died before even reaching the Americas.

In KS3 History, you examine what happened during the Middle Passage, when enslaved Africans were shipped across the Atlantic. You explore conditions on board, survival, resistance and the human cost of this trade.

Key Terms

Middle Passage: The Atlantic sea journey where enslaved Africans were transported in cramped, brutal conditions to the Americas.
Slave ship: A ship specially used to carry enslaved Africans, often overcrowded, dirty and extremely dangerous.
Mortality rate: The proportion of people who die in a group; on slave ships this rate was shockingly high.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What were conditions like on the Middle Passage?

Conditions on the Middle Passage were overcrowded, filthy and terrifying. Enslaved Africans were chained, given little food or water, and faced heat, disease and violence from the crew.

Why did so many enslaved Africans die on slave ships?

Many died because of diseases like dysentery and smallpox, dehydration, poor food, injuries, and brutal treatment. The conditions on slave ships made it very hard for people to survive the journey.

How do historians know about the Middle Passage today?

Historians study ship logs, traders’ letters, government records and accounts from formerly enslaved people. By comparing these sources, they build a clearer picture of what happened on the Middle Passage.

Try These Related Quizzes

Slaves who came to Britain usually worked as what?

[ ]	Coalminers
[ ]	Factory hands
[ ]	Gravediggers
[ ]	Servants to rich people

Runaway slaves in the West Indies had what name?

[ ]	Cherries
[ ]	Crimsons
[ ]	Maroons
[ ]	Scarlets

In 1729 a slave was legally said to be .......

[ ]	able to claim freedom through the courts
[ ]	entitled to be paid a wage
[ ]	his or her master's property
[ ]	his or her own boss

Which statement about slave ships is false?

[ ]	Ships often carried more slaves than there was room for
[ ]	Slaves had individual cabins
[ ]	Slaves were chained below decks
[ ]	Slaves were punished for disobedience

What type of songs were a response to the slave trade?

[ ]	Lullabies
[ ]	Nursery rhymes
[ ]	Sea shanties
[ ]	Spirituals

What often happened to whole families sold as slaves?

[ ]	All the family worked for the same owner
[ ]	The children went to school while the parents worked
[ ]	The children were sent back to Africa
[ ]	They were split up at auction

Which American organisation helped runaway slaves to escape?

[ ]	The Freedom Wagon
[ ]	The Invisible Tramcar
[ ]	The Secret Ferry
[ ]	The Underground Railroad

130 slaves were thrown overboard from which ship in 1782?

[ ]	Cong
[ ]	Fong
[ ]	Tong
[ ]	Zong

Who was the captain of the Zong?

[ ]	Catherwood
[ ]	Collingwood
[ ]	Sherwood
[ ]	Westwood

10.

Who was heavily involved in the Zong court case?

[ ]	George Squire
[ ]	Grant Stone
[ ]	Granville Sharp
[ ]	Greville Speke

History Quiz - The Slave Trade 02 (Answers)

Slaves who came to Britain usually worked as what?

[ ]	Coalminers
[ ]	Factory hands
[ ]	Gravediggers
[x]	Servants to rich people

They were cheaper than employing European servants

Runaway slaves in the West Indies had what name?

[ ]	Cherries
[ ]	Crimsons
[x]	Maroons
[ ]	Scarlets

They formed their own communities

In 1729 a slave was legally said to be .......

[ ]	able to claim freedom through the courts
[ ]	entitled to be paid a wage
[x]	his or her master's property
[ ]	his or her own boss

Very few people at the time considered that it was unjust to consider a person to be 'property'

Which statement about slave ships is false?

[ ]	Ships often carried more slaves than there was room for
[x]	Slaves had individual cabins
[ ]	Slaves were chained below decks
[ ]	Slaves were punished for disobedience

The slave ship owners made huge profits as they packed as many slaves into as small a space as possible

What type of songs were a response to the slave trade?

[ ]	Lullabies
[ ]	Nursery rhymes
[ ]	Sea shanties
[x]	Spirituals

Sometimes called 'sorrow songs'

What often happened to whole families sold as slaves?

[ ]	All the family worked for the same owner
[ ]	The children went to school while the parents worked
[ ]	The children were sent back to Africa
[x]	They were split up at auction

Only in rare cases was the family ever reunited

Which American organisation helped runaway slaves to escape?

[ ]	The Freedom Wagon
[ ]	The Invisible Tramcar
[ ]	The Secret Ferry
[x]	The Underground Railroad

It took them to the northern states or Canada where there was little or no slavery

130 slaves were thrown overboard from which ship in 1782?

[ ]	Cong
[ ]	Fong
[ ]	Tong
[x]	Zong

They made a navigational error and were running out of water. The insurance allowed a ship owner to make a claim if part of the cargo was thrown overboard to save the rest. The cargo was slaves