Definition of the Triangle Trade (Rum and Slave Trade)

Definition of the Triangle Trade (Rum and Slave Trade) In the 1560’s, Sir John Hawkins pioneered the way for the slave triangle that would take place between England, Africa, and North America.   While the origins of the slave trade from Africa can be traced back to days of the Roman Empire, Hawkins voyages were the first for England. The country would see slave trade flourish through more than 10,000 recorded voyages up through March 1807 when the British Parliament abolished it throughout the British Empire and specifically across the Atlantic with the passage of the Slave Trade Act. Hawkins was very cognizant of the profits that could be made from the slave trade and he personally made three voyages. Hawkins was from Plymouth, Devon, England and was cousins with Sir Francis Drake. It is alleged that Hawkins was the first individual to make a profit from each leg of the triangular trade. This triangular trade consisted of English goods such as copper, cloth, fur and beads being traded on the African for slaves who were then trafficked on what has become to be known as the infamous Middle Passage. This brought them across the Atlantic Ocean to then be traded for goods that had been produced in the New World, and these goods were then transported back to England. There was also a variation of this system of trade that was very commonplace during the  colonial era in American History. New Englanders traded extensively, exporting  many commodities  such as fish, whale oil, furs, and rum and followed the following pattern that occurred as follows: New Englanders manufactured and shipped rum to the west coast of Africa in exchange for slaves.The slaves were taken on the Middle Passage to the West Indies where they were sold for molasses and money.The molasses would be sent to New England to make rum and start the entire system of trade all over again. In the colonial era, the various colonies played different roles in what was produced and used for trade purposes in this triangular trade. Massachusetts and Rhode Island were known to produce the highest quality rum from the molasses and sugars that had been imported from the West Indies.   The distilleries from these two colonies would prove to be vital to the continued triangular slave trade that was extremely profitable. Virginia’s tobacco and hemp production also played a major role as well as cotton from the southern colonies.   Any cash crop and raw materials that the colonies could produce were more than welcome in England as well as throughout the rest of Europe for trade. But these types of goods and commodities were labor intensive, so the colonies relied on the use of slave for their production that in turn helped to fuel the necessity of continuing the trade triangle. Since this era is generally considered to be the age of sail, the routes that were used were chosen due to the prevailing wind and current patterns. This meant that is was more efficient for the countries situated in Western Europe to first sail southward until they reached the area known for the â€Å"trade winds† before heading west towards the Caribbean in lieu of sailing a straight course to the American colonies. Then for the return trip to England, the ships would travel the Gulf Stream and head in a Northeast direction utilizing the prevailing winds from the west to power their sails. It is important to note that the triangle trade was not an official or rigid system of trade, but instead a name that has been given to this triangular route of trade that existed between these three places across the Atlantic. Further, other triangle-shaped trade routes existed at this time. However, when individuals speak of the triangle trade, they are typically referring to this system.

Conversational Email

Conversational Email Conversational Email Conversational Email By Ali Hale One reader, Bruce, wrote in to ask: I find it curious that the written word now includes expressions clearly intended for verbal exchange. Im referring to many of the suggestions you provided for email. In an attempt to be accurate and possibly too literal, I have tended to opt out of those uses. Specifically, when using phrases or words such as: I said†, I use I stated, instead of looking forward to hearing back from you, I use looking forward to your response. What is your take on this? This is a fascinating question, and there is no easy answer. Ultimately, few people would be surprised or annoyed by the use of â€Å"said† and â€Å"heard† in emails, even business ones. Here’s a few points that Bruce, and anyone else who’s wondered about the same issue, might want to consider. How common are verbal expressions in emails? Searching Google for the phrase â€Å"I said in my email† gives 26,500 hits, suggesting that this expression is in fairly widespread usage. (And given that most instances will be in private emails, that are not indexed by Google, this is probably a fraction of the true number.) Are emails closer to a letter or a phone call? For those of us who use email daily (probably most Daily Writing Tips readers!), we often feel it fills a gap somewhere between letters and telephone calls. Of course, emails are written, like letters are, but they have the immediacy of a phone conversation, and often a similar degree of informality. This is one reason why many of us tend to drop into using verbal phrases in our emails. My company has recently switched to using Google Mail, and email threads there are called â€Å"Conversations† by Google – again, suggesting that the way we think of email is bound up with verbal ideas. Perhaps part of the influence comes from instant messaging applications. Just think of the word â€Å"chat†, which used to have a verbal meaning – for many people now, the primary association is with â€Å"chat room† and â€Å"chat client†. When messages are sent through these applications, the format is often â€Å"Johnny says†¦Ã¢â‚¬  How formal should you be in an email? As I mentioned in my article of email stock phrases, it’s often unnecessary to be as formal in an email as you would be in a letter. To many recipients, Bruce’s â€Å"I stated† would sound very formal – even a little standoffish. If you do need to use formal or official language, though, it is safest to write â€Å"As I wrote in my previous email†¦Ã¢â‚¬  rather than â€Å"As I said in my previous email†¦Ã¢â‚¬  However, phrases like â€Å"Hope to hear from you soon† are appropriate even in a formal email if there’s a chance that the response might come by phone. Were verbal expressions used in letters in the past? One of my favourite books is an 18th century epistolary novel (a novel written as a series of letters between the characters) called Clarissa Harlowe, or, The History of a Young Lady by Samuel Richardson. His character Clarissa is a model of perfect behaviour and excellent letter-writing abilities. Early in the first volume (Letter II), she writes to her friend Anna: My brother was then in Scotland, busying himself in viewing the condition of the considerable estate which was left him there by his generous godmother, together with one as considerable in Yorkshire. In her next letter, Clarissa writes to Anna: (my brother being then, as I have said, in Scotland) From this, I would argue that the use of â€Å"said† to refer to something stated in previous written correspondence is not a 21st century innovation. What’s your take on this? Since this is an area with no hard-and-fast rules, it would be great to have your opinions. Do you think phrases like â€Å"As I said in my previous email† are appropriate? Would you write â€Å"Look forward to hearing from you† if you expected an emailed response? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Homograph ExamplesOne Fell Swoop7 Other Types of Pronouns