1. What made Thomas Clarkson so angry?

Lesson Objectives
To identify the key features of the slave trade and to evaluate to what extent Africa was civilised before the trade

​Lesson Tasks
  1. ​Click here to download the Lesson PowerPoint for today.
  2. Read pages 68 and 69 of your textbooks and look at the images:
    1. What do you think was the topic of Clarkson's essay?
    2. Why did his research make him so angry?
  3. Now look at pages 70 and 71. Using this map and diagram, try to use the information to complete the following:
    1. What kinds of cargoes were taken on Voyage 1, 2 and 3?
    2. The transporting of slaves was often called 'the middle passage'. Why?
    3. Look back at the clues on pages 68-69. Try to match each one to a stage in the triangular trade.
  4. Was Africa 'civilised' before the Slave Trade?
    1. In pairs, brainstorm what features you think makes a 'civilisation'. Use this worksheet for ideas.
    2. Now in groups, you will research and create a 3-5 minute presentation on one of the following African empires:
      1. Axum, Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Ethiopia, Mossi, and Benin.
      2. Try this webpage to start off your research.
    3. For each, you need to judge how civilised you think it was by researching:
      1. Did they have cities?
      2. Did they have an organised government?
      3. Did they have a complex religion?
      4. Did people have specific jobs? (job specification)
      5. Were there different social classes?
      6. Did they have writing?
      7. What art and architecture did they have?
      8. Did they create any large public works?

2. Why did people support the Slave Trade?

Lesson Objectives
​To discover who benefitted from the Slave Trade and to identify the arguments used to defend it

Lesson Tasks
  1. ​Click here to download the Lesson PowerPoint for today
  2. Read pages 72-73 and complete Activities 1 and 2. On a copy of this ripple diagram, decide which groups were most to blame for the Slave Trade:
    1. African war lords; British slave ship owners; British slave traders; Plantation owners; Ordinary people; Factory owners; Bankers; Capitalists
  3. Next read page 74 and complete Activities 1-3:
    1. Match each of the sources to an argument put forward to defend the slave trade.
    2. How could Clarkson challenge the reliability of Sources 1-3?
    3. What do you think was the main factor that motivated people to support the slave trade? Was it greed, ignorance or racism?

3. How did Clarkson challenge the Slave Trade?

Lesson Objectives
To organise the evidence Clarkson collected into counter-arguments in order to challenge the slave trade

​Lesson Tasks
  1. ​Download, read, and follow the instructions on the Lesson PowerPoint.
  2. Using textbook pages 75-79, collect evidence and witness statements on this evidence log to help you back up your counter-arguments against those that defend the slave trade.
  3. Supplement this with internet research to help find more evidence.
  4. Now its time to write your speech. Read the speech markscheme here before you begin. Make sure you defeat all five arguments put forward to defend the slave trade.
  5. Read William Pitt's speech from the text-book first to see how he has used emotive language to persuade the audience.
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