The African Slave Trade

The Middle Passage was a leg of the triangular slave trade that brought slaves on ships from West Africa to the Americas. Compared to all the forced migrations in the world’s history, the obligatory voyage of the Africans from their homeland to the mysterious new world is one of the most tragic. Nowhere in this time period has a person experienced such tribulations as the Africans did during the Atlantic slave trade. The inhumane treatment derived from the African slave trade makes it one of the most horrific events in world history. Therefore, the abuse they received has undoubtedly influenced history. 

On the west coast of Africa, the Africans started trading members of other tribes to Europeans for goods such as: guns, whiskey, cotton, and utensils made of brass and ivory. In 1517, the trans-Atlantic slave trade began. The lack of a work force sent European countries searching African tribes for servants that could be worked for cheap labor. The main traders included the Dutch, the French, and the English; although, England eventually came to domination, through the English Royal African company, selling slaves to not only their own colonies but to other countries as well. While the benefits for the Europeans from this slave trade may have been satisfying, the horrendous experiences to come for the Africans explain why this event impacted history so intensely.

An African captured as a boy and tortured through the middle passage, painfully describes his thoughts of the ships. “…multitude of black people of every description chained together…I asked if we were not to be eaten by those white men…the air soon became unfit for respiration…and brought on a sickness among the slaves, of which many died ” (Olaudah Equiano). The mandatory “living quarters” consisted of less than five feet of headroom; however that was the least of their problems. They were kept in the belly of the ship which also contained little ventilation and scattered wastes. Because disease was prevalent, the breathing space became contaminated as the journey continued. These were not the only pains the slaves faced. The hot irons used to brand the slaves burned into their skin. Branding is a technique used for marking livestock so as to identify the owner. This unpleasant procedure illuminates the repulsive management of slaves; The Europeans acted as if slaves were inhuman. After they were branded, shackles were placed on them to restrain most movement. Mortality rates were tremendous with ten to twenty percent of all the slaves, during this time period, losing their lives. 

The nightmarish conditions and unknown future bestowed upon the slaves channeled disbelief into their every thought. Unfortunately, no matter how bad the cruel circumstances got, slaves were forced to survive because of their valued demand and the service they could provide. However, in reality, most slaves aboard the ships deeply desired death. The animosity between the enslaved race and the Europeans caused generations of unrest that still lingers today. 

Culture, traditions, and even families were torn apart because of the arrangement of slavery.  The enslaved “people” lost their identity and were no longer members of a community.  Before the idea of abolitionists, slavery existed for centuries destroying millions of lives and downgrading an important race in our world today. Despite the fact that many lives were destroyed, Africans still prosper around the world. “As the blues, jazz, and the spirituals teach, one must embrace all life, both its pain and joy, creatively” (Tom Feeling).