The Slave Trade

The history of the transatlantic slave trade is a deeply troubling chapter in human history, marked by immense suffering and exploitation. Slavery played a significant role in the colonization of the Americas, particularly from the 16th to the 19th century. Africans were forcibly taken from their homelands, primarily from West Africa, where they were captured through warfare, raids, or sold by rival groups to European traders. These captives were then transported to the Americas in what is infamously known as the Middle Passage.

The Middle Passage refers to the horrific journey across the Atlantic Ocean that enslaved Africans endured. Ships were crammed with human cargo in a practice known as tightpacking, where captives were shackled in cramped, unsanitary conditions to maximize profit. These ships carried between 10 and 12 million Africans to the New World—the term used to describe the Americas. Tragically, an estimated 15-20% of those transported did not survive the journey due to disease, starvation, and abuse.

The journey across the Middle Passage typically lasted 6 to 8 weeks. Conditions on the ships were appalling: enslaved people were chained together with little room to move, deprived of fresh air, and forced to lie in their own waste. Many suffered from diseases like dysentery and smallpox. Mortality rates were high, and revolts occurred on approximately 10% of voyages, as captives resisted their enslavement despite the dire circumstances.

Historians often struggle to fully convey the horrors of the Middle Passage due to the sheer scale of human suffering, the loss of countless lives, and the erasure of individual identities. Words fail to capture the physical torment and psychological trauma experienced by millions. Slavery in the Americas was particularly brutal, distinguishing it from earlier forms of servitude in other societies. It was racialized and hereditary, meaning children of enslaved people were also considered property. This system became entrenched in the economic and social fabric of colonial America, particularly in the southern United States, where enslaved labor was vital to agricultural economies.

The abolition of slavery began to take root during the 19th century, culminating in the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, passed in 1865. This legally ended slavery in the United States. However, the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade and its role in the colonization of the Americas continues to affect society today.

Where were the majority of enslaved Africans purchased from during the transatlantic slave trade?
What was the Middle Passage, and why is it significant in the history of the slave trade?
What is meant by the term 'tightpacking' in relation to the transatlantic slave trade?
How many millions of Africans were estimated to have been shipped to the New World as part of the transatlantic slave trade?
What percentage of enslaved Africans is estimated to have not survived the Middle Passage?
What was the "New World," and what role did it play in the transatlantic slave trade?
When was the 13th Amendment passed, and what did it accomplish?
How did African slavery differ from other forms of historical slavery around the world?
How long did the Middle Passage typically last, and what factors influenced its duration?
What were the conditions like on the slave ships during the Middle Passage, and what happened on roughly 10% of the voyages?