4 Steps of Transatlantic Slave Trade Step 1 March to the coast Krumen Native Africans who were paid by Americans to go into Africa to capture Africans to sell into slavery They were paid in gifts of guns clothing etc and protection Covered up to 200 300 miles Slaves were shackled by the feet hands or neck and walked with the Krumen for up to 2 3 months Step 2 Holding Tanks After slaves were captured they were brought back to the coast where they would wait for the next ship to come and get the to go to Americas Barracoons These were large cages made of bamboo that were on the sand next to beach They held a couple hundred of slaves They were outside 24 7 and only those who could fight their way to the outside of the barracoon would get fed because the people in charge did not travel in side the cage to feed the slaves Many died Dungeons If there was a factory sometimes slaves would be kept in the dungeon Very dark and smell of feces was horrific Slaves were blinded when they first left because they were kept in the dark for so long Step 2 1 2 Slave Canoes the Americas Boats that would take them from the coast to the the bigger ship that would go to This was a slave s last chance to escape They would tip the canoe and would have to swim to shore and run Some drowned or were shot and some escaped Step 3 The Middle Passage The voyage from Africa to America Usually took 2 3 months Loose Packing Slaves were packed onto the ship with plenty of room to move around and had a designated place to use the bathroom The idea was the ship wouldn t be able to take as many slaves at one time but the conditions were better so they would be healthier and auction at a higher price once they reached America Tight Packing Slaves were strategically places side by side so that the entire ship was packed completely The slaves would not move the entire journey and forced to defe cate in the same place Many died of starvation and disease Muscle atrophy was a big issue because they didn t move for 2 3 months Sharks would follow the slave ships because they would throw the dead bodies overboard everyday Some ships the slaves rebelled but this rarely worked because the slaves had no idea how to navigate and would get lost at sea Many slaves died of dehydration and dysentery Step 4 Seasoning Once in America the slaves wereprepared for auction They were bathed greased down and had charcoal dust put on their scars blemishes to cover them up Buyers would inspect their teeth and reproductive organs Price was determined by gender physical condition age etc Highest slave selling ever recorded was a black woman who sold for 10 000 and sold into prostitution Seasoners These were men who were there to teach slaves their place They would give them a new name and teach them to do everything their owner asked Never taught the word no Slavery in Southern Colonies 1619 1680 Era of Flexibility This was when tobacco was taking off in VA England was in a recession and the only place making money was Virginia Slavery started in the 1600s after the re cession in England was over and the number of indentured servants drastically de creased Early African slaves were freed if they converted to Christianity There was a very small number of African slaves at this time Slavery got bad later when more and more came and the whites feared a revolu tion Slave Codes Every slave slate had these They started in South Carolina because they found out the sugar crops from barbados would grow well here Also where slavery became prominent because they needed them to grow it Says what slaves and slave owners can and can t do Freedom was inherited through mother If your mother was a slave so were Slaves cannot read write Slave owners cannot be prosecuted for killing a slave because technically they you are property American Revolution Inter State Slave Trade Slaves in northern states worked on docks and for merchants Declaration of Independence says all men are created equal and many northern states emancipate Some immediately and some gradually When Eli Whitney created the cotton gin it made cotton a huge industry therefore needed slaves to plant harvest it Cotton went from 4 000 bales year in 1790 to to 5 million bales year in 1860 Slave ownership owned 50 slaves 25 of southerners owned slaves and it was a status symbol Only 2 7 of these Many who owned 50 were not cotton farmers but rice farmers along the SC and GA coasts They were called absentee owners They owned the plantations but lived in the cities and had managers and overseers to run the place Manager was responsible for finances and overseer was responsible for the slaves and the first to blame if something went wrong with slaves Slave life to live on They were given 4 lbs of pork and 8 quarts of cornmeal and coffee every week Learned to grow vegetables and fished to supplement However the food they were rationed did keep them healthy They lived in wooden shanties 16x18 ft big for one family Their families were any slaves they lived with including people not blood related and extended relatives Given 4 outfits and 1 pair of shoes per year Slave marriages weren t legal so many families were split up Jumping Over the Broomstick was the marriage ceremony Very little divorce because at anytime they could be split up Cheating and spousal abuse were NOT permitted and you were beaten if caught Religion Many slave couples chose not to have children because of their conditions but if they did they had an avg of 7 Marriage was a way to resist the slave owner and one of the only choices a slave could make for themselves along with having children Slave owners would take their slaves to White Church and and it was a way to teach obedience They were taught there was a separate heaven hell for slaves They created Invisible Church A secret church slaves held at night and was often very evangelical and they believed that if they obeyed in this life when they got to heaven they would be free Overseers and owners knew nothing about this It was another form of resistance Passive Resistance Having a life marriage religion etc Slowing down how fast they would work All forms of Getting over the Master Active Resistance Running away not work Underground Railroad The rest of the community would be punished Nine out of ten times it did Mainly used in upper southern states It was a series of safe houses from border slave states all the way to Canada Started by the Quakers They would hide during the day and move
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