History Chapter 6: Enslaved People's Experience

Chapter 6: The Experience of Enslaved People

• The transatlantic slave trade was a horrific human tragedy, with each enslaved person representing immense suffering.

• Enslaved people came from various backgrounds: criminals, religious captives, indebted servants, and those captured during wars or slave raids.

• Captives were transported in different ways, by large canoes and boats, land caravans, or sometimes on foot. Travel times varied dramatically.

• Treatment and nutrition varied by region and circumstances. Those from recent wars were often treated more harshly.

• While enslaved people were frequently kept waiting before being sold, this waiting period often involved suffering. Mortality rate during this period varied based on local situations, food availability, disease prevalence, and war.

• European shipboard records show approximate enslavement capacity, though they are not comprehensive or consistent.

• Overcrowding was a key feature of the Middle Passage, but not the sole cause of high mortality rates. Estimates vary, but the average allotted space was extremely small.

• Early voyages had an average mortality rate of 20% or higher, decreasing to 10% or less later. Mortality rates were higher for slaves from regions closer to the equator.

• Factors beyond overcrowding influenced mortality, including tropical diseases (malaria, yellow fever), poor hygiene, and inadequate medical care.

• The enslaved people faced psychological trauma from their forced displacement, separation from loved ones, and inhumane conditions.

• Enslaved people in the Americas were subjected to harsh labor and treatment that varied greatly among locations and their masters.

• Slaves were prohibited from marrying, owning property, and asserting control over their lives.

• Punishment for defiance ranged from beatings to death.

• Enslaved women were often subject to sexual violence.

• There was cultural suppression, as slaves were often forced to adopt the dominant culture of their masters.

• Treatment varied, but it was frequently brutal, exploitative and degrading.

• Although some people survived, the overall experience was devastating to the enslaved individuals.

• Many were deprived of their basic needs, and their lives were controlled by others.

• While some enslaved people were employed in urban areas, the majority were transported to plantations to work on sugar, tobacco, cotton, or coffee.

• The harshness of life conditions was determined by the region, the time period, the enslaved person's skills, local laws, and even the personality of the master.