Slavery & the Middle Passage

Geography of Slavery 1619 In 1619, the first Africans were brought to the colony Jamestown, Virginia by the Dutch. Enslaved Africans mostly came from the area stretching from the Senegal River in Africa to Angola.

Capture Approx. 60 forts build along the west coast of Africa. Walked in slave caravans to the forts some 1000 miles away. Selected by the Europeans and branded. One half survived the death march. Place in underground dungeons until they were boarded on ships.

The Middle Passage After capture, Africans were packed tightly into slave ships. The death rate of the “passengers” was 50%. The middle leg of a three part voyage. Began and ended in Europe. Carried cargo of iron, cloth, brandy, firearms, gunpowder Lnded on Africa’s Slave Coast and exchanged cargo for Africans Set sail for the Americas, where slaves were exchanged for sugar, tobacco, mlasses. Final brought the ship back to Europe.

Middle Passage Statistics Roughly half of the slaves abducted died during the march to the coast. An estimated 10-16 million Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic from 1500-1900. An estimated 2 million died during the Middle Passage. Slaves chained together and crammed into spaces sometimes less than five feet high. Slavers packed three of four hundred Africans into the ship cargo holds. Little ventilation, human waste, horrific odors. Unclean. Tight packing - belly to back, chained in twos, wrist to ankle (660+), naked. Loose packing - shoulder to shoulder chained wrist to wrist or ankle to ankle. Men and woman separated (men placed towards bow, women toward stern). Fed once of twice a day and brought on deck for limited times. Journey lasted 6-8 weeks. Due to high mortality rate, cargo was insured (reimbursed for drowning accidents but not for deaths from disease of sickness) Common to dump your cargo for sickness or food shortages. Slave mutinies on board ships were common (1 out of every 10 voyages across the Atlantic experience a revolt). Covert resistance (attempted suicide, jumped overboard, refusal to eat).

Destination, Auction, and Seasoning Most Africans landed in Brazil with the least number landing in North America. Slaves were auctioned off to the highest bidder. Slaves were put through a process of “seasoning” to get them ready for work. They learned an European language, were named an European name, and were shown labor requirements.

Slave Auction Block

Life of a Slave Most slaves had Sundays off and they went to church. Most slaves could not read or write, and it was illegal for them to learn. Slave Codes-They could not: leave their home without a pass, carry a weapon, gather in groups, own property, legally marry, defend themselves against a white person, or speak in court.

"All Negro, mulatto and Indian slaves within this dominion "All Negro, mulatto and Indian slaves within this dominion...shall be held to be real estate. If any slave resist his master...correcting such slave, and shall happen to be killed in such correction...the master shall be free of all punishment...as if such accident never happened."--Virginia Code of Law, 1705.

“Punishment” Slaves were often brutally punished for misbehaving. Punishments included: whipping, branding, being sold, gagged (silence), and other torturous methods were used.

The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slave holding interests and Northern Free-Soilers. This was one of the most controversial acts of the 1850 compromise and heightened Northern fears of a 'slave power conspiracy'. It declared that all runaway slaves be brought back to their masters. Abolitionists nicknamed it the "Bloodhound Law" for the dogs that were used to track down runaway slaves.[1]

The Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation Early in the war, Lincoln began to think about ending slavery in the South to help end the war. On September 22, 1862 he issued the Emancipation Proclamation which declared an end to slavery in the states in rebellion on January 1, 1863. What did it do? Nothing. It only freed slaves in the states that had seceded.

End of the Civil War and the 13th Amendment The South lost, and the states were forced to accept the 13th Amendment to the Constitution before they could be readmitted into the Union. 13th Amendment-It abolished slavery in the United States. It was ratified in 1865.