British involvement in Transatlantic Slave Trade
I can explain the role of Britain in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
British involvement in Transatlantic Slave Trade
I can explain the role of Britain in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The British arrived in West Africa from the 1660s, with the support of King Charles II and later King James II.
- The arrival of the British led to more conflict between and within kingdoms in West Africa.
- Before enslaved labour was used on plantations, Britain used a system of indentured labour.
- Barbados was the most profitable colony with the growth of sugar.
- The British transported enslaved people to new colonies in the Caribbean, such as Jamaica and Barbados.
Keywords
Colonisation - the process of one person or a group of people taking control of another country or state and settling on that land
Plantations - areas of land on which certain crops were grown, usually using forced labour
Enslaved people - people who have been forced to work, lose their freedom and become the property of another person
Indentured labour - a system where someone is made to work without pay for a set period of time
Slave holder - someone who owned an enslaved person
Common misconception
Britain was always involved in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Britain became involved in the trade in the 1500s, initially selling enslaved people onto plantations in Spanish and Portuguese colonies.
To help you plan your year 8 history lesson on: British involvement in Transatlantic Slave Trade, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 8 history lesson on: British involvement in Transatlantic Slave Trade, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the Transatlantic Slavery: how were West African societies impacted? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
the process of one country taking control of another
land on which crops were grown, usually using forced labour
someone forced to become the legal property of someone else
someone who owned an enslaved person