The Transatlantic Slave Trade

The transatlantic slave trade was one of history’s greatest crimes—a massive theft of human life that fueled colonization and shaped the modern world. Our classroom-ready lessons help students trace this global system from European capitals to African coasts and the plantations of the Americas. Along the way, they’ll uncover the human cost, the economic impact, and the lasting consequences of a trade that changed everything.
Transatlantic Slave Trade

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How to Teach the Transatlantic Slave Trade

The Transatlantic Slave Trade

World History Lesson Guide: The Transatlantic Slave Trade External link Locked

Find teacher instructions and guiding questions to help students examine the transatlantic slave trade and the horrors of the Middle Passage.

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Teaching Sensitive Topics External link

Get support for difficult but meaningful discussions about the transatlantic slave trade.
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Blog: Teaching challenging topics in social studies External link

Two veteran teachers reflect on teaching challenging topics and how they help students build historical empathy.
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Blog: Dive in with National Geographic Explorer Tara Roberts External link

Show students the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade through human stories and experiences.
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Blog: Zumbi: King of Palmares and Bane of the Slavers External link

Zumbi of Palmares was one the many enslaved people who challenged colonial power in 17th-century Brazil.

Lessons Plans on The Transatlantic Slave Trade

The Transatlantic Slave Trade
Lesson 3.6
World History 1200
Transoceanic Connections
1450 – 1750 CE
The Transatlantic Slave Trade
For 400 years, over 12 million people were enslaved and forcibly transported to the Americas, where they worked in horrific conditions. Their labor enriched European empires and settler colonies.
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Lesson 3.7
World History 1200
Transoceanic Connections
1450 – 1750 CE
The Plantation System
Humans build communities to share goods, beliefs, and ideas across networks. While fourteenth-century connections spread innovations, they also brought challenges like the devastating Black Death.
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The Middle Passage
Lesson 6.9.3
World History Origins
The First Global Age
1200 to 1750 CE
The Middle Passage
In this video, comic, and activity, we adjust our lenses to focus on a small region in Africa and the life of one enslaved man to better understand how the slave trade affected the entire continent.
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Transatlantic Slave Trade Resources for Deeper Learning

Impact of the Slave Trade: Through a Ghanaian Lens
Sketch of the coast of Ghana with ships coming ashore
World History Origins
Video

Impact of the Slave Trade: Through a Ghanaian Lens External link

How did the Atlantic slave trade impact communities in Africa? This video focuses on experiences of people in Ghana to reveal bigger truths about this transoceanic system.
Empires, Enslavement, and Revolutions Thematic Map
OER Project
Visual Aid

Empires, Enslavement, and Revolutions Thematic Map External link

A full-color thematic map of Empires, Enslavement, and Revolutions in 1750 CE, meant to help you support, extend, and challenge the frame narratives.
Domingos Álvares
World History Origins
Graphic Biographies

Domingos Álvares External link

As a priest and healer, Domingos Álvares was dedicated to building communities and networks wherever he went.
Capitalism and Slavery
A drawing of many, many enslaved people crammed onto a ship. The people have been tied up and are laying down, pressed against one another.
World History Origins
Article

Capitalism and Slavery External link

Slaving and slavery existed alongside capitalism. But were they rival economic systems? Or did they support each other?
Curating the Past
Curating the Past
World History Origins
Activity

Curating the Past External link

If you were a museum curator, how would you design exhibits to help people understand the importance of the transatlantic slave trade?
Source Collection: First Person Accounts - Transatlantic Slave Trade
Source Collection - First Person Accounts - Transatlantic Slave Trade
World History Origins
Article

Source Collection: First Person Accounts - Transatlantic Slave Trade External link

Over 12.5 million people were enslaved and transported across the Atlantic Ocean. These first-hand accounts show the horrors of the journey and some ways people resisted.
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Community: Ask, Connect, Share

Join a community of world history teachers for help teaching tough topics like enslavement and the slave trade.

Quick Sourcing – First Person Accounts of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

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Ideas for Bringing Tara Roberts’ Podcast into the Classroom

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Combining lessons- Business of Empire and the Plantation system Gallery Walk

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