Your challenge is to write a clear, well-organized essay.  Start your essay with an introductory paragraph stating your argument (thesis), present the evidence needed to support this argument in the body of your essay, and then provide a concluding paragraph that ties the whole essay together.  The best answers explain why things happened the way they did, and dont simply describe what happened.  The fact that your argument and conclusions may be debatable makes them that much more interesting, as long as you support them with adequate material from the readings.  These are complex questions with multiple parts.  Without surpassing the word limit, make sure to write a thorough response.
Let me emphasize the importance of using concrete historical evidence to support your argumentnames, places, specific events and developments, and approximate dates (e.g., early, mid, or late 16th c.).  For this element of the exam, you will benefit from the accurate and appropriate use of terms found on the list posted on our website.  You may also use appropriate names and terms drawn from any of the readings.

Prompt:

Write an essay explaining why slavery became a critical component of the Atlantic economy and then ended when it did in the nineteenth century.  Discuss the rise and nature of the transatlantic slave trade, including its foundations in both European and African practices, the hardships endured by its victims, and the characteristics of the resulting African diaspora.  What caused this centuries-long transatlantic trade in captive laborers to come to an end?

Be sure to support your answer with carefully chosen evidence, examples, and brief quotations from relevant readings assigned. Cite this reading material by referencing authors or editors and page numbers in parentheses, e.g., (SS&G, 21) or (Leon-Portilla, 64) or (Equiano, 123).

Cite this book: (Equiano)
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Interesting_Narrative_of_the_Life_of_Olaudah_Equiano,_or_Gustavus_Vassa,_the_African/Chapter_1