The buying and selling of enslaved people, known as the transatlantic slave trade, involved the capture, transportation, and sale of individuals as forced laborers. This dehumanizing practice was prevalent from the 16th to the 19th centuries, primarily involving Africans who were sold to European and American markets. The trade contributed to the wealth of slave traders and plantation owners while resulting in immense suffering and loss of life for those enslaved.
The first person to be enslaved for life in the United States was John Punch, an African servant who was sentenced to a lifetime of servitude in 1640. This judgment marked the beginning of the legal establishment of slavery based on race in British North America.
Additional purchases of Africans were few after 1619 because initially, many Africans were brought over as indentured servants rather than slaves. Later, the introduction of laws and customs enforcing slavery made it easier for settlers to keep enslaved people for life, reducing the need for new purchases. Additionally, continual importation of Africans was seen as expensive and the local slave population was able to reproduce and provide a sustainable labor force.
English colonists adopted slavery in order to meet the labor demands of their profitable industries, such as tobacco and sugar plantations. They saw enslaved Africans as a cheap and abundant source of labor that would help them maximize profits in their colonies. Additionally, they used racist ideologies to justify the enslavement of Africans and perpetuate the system.
The enslavement of Africans in the 17th century was different from previous forms of slavery in that it was based on race, with Africans being specifically targeted for bondage. This racialized form of slavery led to the development of the transatlantic slave trade, where millions of Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas to work on plantations. Additionally, African slaves in this period were often subjected to harsher treatment and enduring chattel slavery, meaning they were treated as property for life.
Information on the life of enslaved Africans is based on historical records, narratives written by enslaved individuals and abolitionists, archaeological findings, oral traditions, and scholarly research. These sources provide insight into the experiences, challenges, and resilience of enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade and the period of slavery in the Americas.
Africans told stories because they had wanted to keep their culture alive. When they were enslaved, africans were forbidden to read or write. As a solution, they told stories to teach their children about their culture and life.
Enslaved Africans significantly contributed to the economic and cultural life in the American colonies through their labor, particularly in agriculture, where they cultivated cash crops such as tobacco, rice, and cotton. Their skills in various trades, including carpentry, blacksmithing, and cooking, also enriched colonial society. Additionally, enslaved Africans brought diverse cultural traditions, music, and culinary practices that influenced American culture. Despite their oppression, they played a vital role in shaping the social and economic landscape of the colonies.
Sought refuge in their families, religion and music
They blended their languages, cultures, and religions to create something new.
Enslaved Africans were forced to endure the Transatlantic Slave Trade, a journey that involved being captured in Africa, transported across the Atlantic Ocean on crowded and unsanitary ships, and then sold into slavery in the Americas. This journey was often referred to as the Middle Passage and resulted in unimaginable suffering and loss of life for millions of enslaved Africans.
Religion was a second refuge for slaves
Enslaved Africans ran away from sugar plantations to escape the harsh and oppressive conditions of slavery, seeking freedom and a better life. They faced brutal punishment, long hours of labor, and dehumanizing treatment, prompting many to risk their lives in search of liberation.
Enslaved Africans made significant contributions to life in the colonies through their labor in agriculture, industry, construction, and domestic work, which helped build the colonial economy and society. They also brought cultural practices, traditions, music, and food that enriched the cultural landscape of the colonies and influenced the development of American culture. Their survival and resistance tactics, such as creating kinship networks and developing forms of cultural expression like music and dance, played a crucial role in preserving their humanity and resisting the dehumanizing effects of slavery.
Religion provided enslaved Africans with a spiritual solace and a sense of hope for a better future beyond their current suffering. Family ties offered emotional support, a sense of community, and a connection to their cultural heritage, helping them to endure the hardships of slavery and maintain a sense of identity and belonging. Both religion and family provided a refuge where enslaved Africans could find strength, resilience, and moments of comfort amidst their harsh circumstances.
they farmed and washed clothes and etc.
Nearly 20% of the People on Board has died. Slaves were treated harshly, slave owners whipped and beats the slaves.