This document provides an overview of the history of slavery from ancient times through modern slavery. It discusses slavery in Africa, including enslavement by Arabs and the transatlantic slave trade conducted by European powers. The slaving process is described in six steps from capture to sale. Comparisons are made between slave experiences in different colonies. Resistance by slaves and little known facts about slavery in America are also presented. The document concludes by noting the ongoing problem of modern slavery.

1. The African Slave Trade
MK 2014

2. Brief History of Slavery
Slavery in Africa
Arab / African Slavery
European Slave Trade
The Slaving Process
Slavery in the Americas
Comparisons
Life of a Slave
Resistance and Rebellion
Little Known Facts
Effects of Slavery
Slavery Today
We will cover the following:

3. A Brief History of Slavery
Slavery has existed since the development of civilization
Paleolithic: Probably not (hunter – gatherers)
Ancient River Valley Civilizations:
Mesopotamia – mentioned in the Code of Hammurabi 1772 BC.
Ancient Egypt – From Joseph to Moses and more
Ancient Israel – rules and regulations described in the Torah and the Old Testament
Ancient China
Ancient India
Classical Period: Meso-America:
Ancient Greece Aztec
Ancient Rome Maya
Inca
Middle Ages:
Mongols
Vikings
Byzantine Empire
Islamic Caliphate

4. Slavery in Africa
The history of African slavery can be divided into 3 periods:
1. African enslavement of Africans
The types of slavery in Africa differed depending on the location.
Chattel slavery had been legal and widespread throughout North Africa when
the region was controlled by the Roman Empire (47 BC - ca. 500 AD). Chattel
slavery persisted after the fall of the Roman empire. After the Islamic
expansion into most of the region, the practices continued and eventually, the
chattel form of slavery spread to major societies in Western and Eastern Africa.
Chattel Slavery – a relationship in which one human has absolute power over
the life, fortune and liberty of another.
North
Africa:

5. Slavery practiced here was essentially domestic. Slaves
served in the houses of their masters and were not employed
for productive purpose. Slaves were regarded as second-class
members of their owners' family and were fed, clothed and
protected. Granted minimally-supervised mobility on and off
their property, they conducted business as free people as long
as they obeyed their owners. They had complete freedom of
religion and culture.
Slavery was practiced in diverse ways. The Kingdoms of
Ghana, Mali and Songhai profited from the Arab slave trade
in North Africa. It is estimated that between 1275 – 1591 AD,
1/3 of the population of West Africa were slaves.
Horn of Africa:
West
Africa:
African slavery of Africans,
cont.

6. Some Basic Facts:
African slavery in Africa is over 3,500 year old.
Africans preferred slaves from distant tribes.
The farther away from their homes, the harder to escape.
Owning slaves was a sign of wealth.
Children born to slaves were “free”.
They could not be killed or sold but suffered from discrimination.
The would be expected to work for food, clothing and shelter.
After 3-4 generations, a family member’s status as a slave would
end. ( approx. 120 years )
African enslavement of Africans

7. 2. Arab enslavement of Africans
The Arab slave trade in Africa lasted from approximately 650 AD. – 1900 AD.
nearly 1,400 years. As Arab Muslims spread into Africa, they became a major
market for African slaves.
During that time between 28 and 40 million Africans
were captured and were processed through the slave trading
system in Arab-controlled North and East Africa.
Arabs preferred female slaves over male slaves.
Female slaves were used for domestic work and
sexual exploitation.
Male slaves were often neutered.
Arabs avoided teaching Islam to African slaves.
Islam prohibits Muslims to have other Muslims as slaves.

8. Arab slave trading routs
Diagram showing an Indian Ocean Arab slave
ship
Arab raiding party capturing
Africans for sale in Tunis.
Arab enslavement of Africans

9. Arabs established trading centers along the Swahili
Coast in East Africa. Local African kings became
wealthy from the slave trade. Slaves were often
bought for simple but in-demand items such as cowrie
shells, cloth and porcelain.
Slave holding cell in a slave
market where slaves were
kept before being sold
along the Swahili coast.
Arab Enslavement of Africans

10. The West African Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali and
Songhai became wealthy partly because of their trade
in slaves to Arab Northern Africa and East Africa.
Taxation on the import and export of gold and salt
and the sale and transport of slaves made the West
African Kingdoms wealthy
Arab Enslavement of Africans

11. There were no large scale agricultural farms for
male slaves to work in the Middle East, but they
were used for mining, construction and as soldiers.
Except for domestic slaves, slaves were segregated
from the Arab population and lived in camps.
On occasion mass extermination of male slave
camps in the Middle East occurred to prevent their
numbers from becoming too large.
Arab Enslavement of Africans

12. Arab / African Enslavement of White Europeans
Between 1500A.D. and 1830A.D. African/Arab
Muslims known as The Barbary Pirates raided ships
in the Mediterranean Sea and costal towns in Italy,
Spain, Portugal, France and England.
It is estimated that as many as 1.5 million white
Europeans were captured and sold in the North
African slave markets.
Most white slaves were sent to the Ottoman Empire.
This portion of the African Slave Trade ended in
1830 when France invaded and took control of
Algeria and Morocco.

13. 3. The European Slave Trade
The Portuguese were the first to establish permanent
trading facilities on the West African coast in 1471 AD.
In 1494, the Portuguese had exclusive trade
agreements with several West African kingdoms.
Gold, ivory and pepper were the products they were
most interested in trading for at first.
Europeans had very little need for slaves and they
were a minimal part of the slave trade until after the
conquest of the “New World” - the Americas 1535 AD.

14. 1442 Pope Eugene IV gave Portugal the right to
explore Africa.
1452 Pope Nicholas V gave Christians the right to
enslave non-Christians – (Dum Diversas)
1494 Pope Alexander IV authored The Treaty of
Tordesillas. It gave Africa to Portugal.
This would mean that Portugal would
become the dominant exporter of slaves
for the European Slave Trade.
Pope Nicholas V
The European Slave Trade
Treaty of Tordesillis

15. By 1535 the Spanish and Portuguese had
conquered much of Central and South America.
The initial plan to use Native Americans as
slave labor on large agricultural plantations
and in gold and silver mines did not
materialize.
The Native Americans were not immune to the
diseases brought by the Europeans.
Up to 90% of the native peoples died.
A new source of labor would be needed to make
the goal of making the new colonies profitable.
The European Slave Trade
Aztec drawing of small pox victims

16. In 1537 Pope Paul III forbade the enslavement of Native
Americans.
To the Spanish and Portuguese it made sense to import African
slaves to their new colonies in the Americas.
The Africans had been actively engaged in the slave trade for
several centuries and were willing to sell slaves to any buyers.
Africans had been exposed to European diseases for
centuries and they were immune.
Most Africans were already familiar with farming and
agriculture.
Portugal begins the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
The European Slave Trade

17. The Dutch injected themselves into the African Slave trade in
1612.
The Dutch had a minimal but important part in the Atlantic
Slave Trade. ( more later )
The English entered the slave trade in 1562 but were only
supplying the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in Americas at
first.
By 1630 the English had established colonies in the Caribbean
and began to import slaves to work their sugar plantations.
In 1655 the French began to ship African slaves to their new
colonies in the West Indies to work the sugar plantations.
The European Slave Trade

18. The Slaving Process
The process of African slavery had 5 – 6 steps:
1. Capture
2. Transport to market
3. Sale to slaving company
4. Transport to new location ( The Middle Passage )
5. Sale to private owner
6. Training “seasoning” – ( not practiced in the British
colonies or the United States )

19. 1. Capture
The means of capturing future slaves was done in
1 of 2 ways:
Capture by other African tribes who were rivals or hired
gangs working for slave merchants on the coast.
OR
Raids by the future owners.
Raids by Arabs were easier because they lived in North
Africa.
The Slaving Process

20. 2. Transport to Market
Once slaves had been captured and secured, they
walked long distances to either the Mediterranean,
Sea, Indian Ocean or Atlantic Ocean coasts.
The casualty rate was usually about 1/3 from this
part of the process
Over time, tribes moved farther inland in an attempt
to avoid the slavers.
The Slaving Process

21. 3. Sale to Slaving Company
Slaves would be kept in holding cells in large numbers.
They would be fed well to build up their strength and
appearance before they were to be sold.
Following their long walk to the holding area,
companies would purchase slaves in lots by the hundreds.
Often the slaving company would be owned by an
African king or he would be a business partner.
The Slaving Process

22. Holding cell
The “Door of No Return”
Originally ships pulled up to the door for
easy loading of slaves
Elmina Castle- Ghana Coast

23. 4. Transport to New Location – ( the Americas )
European ship captains would make a deal to buy a
certain number of slaves. Always 15% more than they
needed to make up for the 10 – 15% loss during the
trip.
The price was paid in European goods: cloth, guns,
alcohol, mirrors, etc.
The slaves would be loaded onto the ship to begin the
journey to the Americas.
300 – “Light Pack” 600 – “Tight Pack”
This was known as the “Middle Passage”.
The Slaving Process

24. The Triangle Trade
A ship captain would have to
make just 3 complete trips
before he would be able to
retire a wealthy man.
The conditions on board a
slave ship were so horrible
that only the most callous of
captains and crews could
make more than 1 trip.

25. 5. Sale to Private Owners
When slaves arrived in the Americas
they were prepared for sale.
The illustration shows a slave being brought up on deck as the
slave ship arrives in Jamaica. Each individual was seized by a
sailor who stood with a soft brush in his hand and a pail at his
feet. The pail contained a mixture of gunpowder, lemon-juice,
and palm oil. The slave would receive a coating and the then
mixture would be rubbed into his skin. The slave was then
polished with the brush until his skin glistened like a newly
polished boot.
This helped to hide blemishes, scars and open wounds.
The Slaving Process

26. The Slaving Process
The type and location of slave auctions depended on the country and city
In New Orleans, wealthy planters came to the St. Louis Hotel for “high
quality auctions”

27. The Slaving Process
Slave Market in St. Augustine Fl. Slave auction in the Bahamas

28. The Slaving Process
Brazilian Slave market
Haiti Slave Auction

29. 6. Training “Seasoning”
Not generally practiced in the United States
After purchase by a private owner, slaves would be
taken to a training camp where they would be
taught how to perform their new tasks.
This training was often brutal as it had to also
condition the slaves to be subservient, obedient and
fearful of their new masters.
This was also seen as a time of “weeding-out” any
trouble-makers before they were introduced into
the general slave population.
Death rates during this period were as high as
50%.

30. Slavery in the Americas
European countries colonized the Americas in
pursuit of territorial expansion and economic gain.
Large agricultural plantations became a source of
vast wealth for Europe.
There were different nationalities and cultures
running the plantations and farming conditions
varied according to crops and climate but all shared
the goal of wealth.
This caused slavery to be very different in different
places, but there were aspects of slavery common to
them all.

31. 4,000,000
Slave Distribution
The final destinations of
slaves involved in the
Atlantic Slave Trade
11,863,000 left Africa
9,600,000 arrived
Loss of 10-20%
Slavery in the Americas

32. Life Expectancy from Birth 1800
Brazil Spanish Cuba French Caribbean N. America
White 35 36 32 40
Slave 15 22 16 36
Comparisons
Life Expectancy from Arrival – 1780 ( age 20 )
Brazil Spanish Cuba French Caribbean N. America
4 years 6 years 2 years 15 years

33. Comparisons
Typical French
Caribbean slave
quarters.
Brazilian open-air
communal slave quarters

34. Comparisons
The quality of slave
quarters in N. America
depended on the owner.

35. Life of a Slave
If you want to know what the life of a slave was like, you must ask the owner,
“What did they want the life of their slaves to be like?”
The life of a slave in the Western Hemisphere varied greatly.
1. Long work hours: non-harvest 10 – 12 hours daily harvest 16 – 20 hours daily
2. Varied health care: Reasonable to nonexistent
3. Food: common shared gruel to provided meat and flour with self-provided vegetables
4. Social life: open community to forced isolation
5. Punishment: reasonable to extreme to sadistic

36. Resistance and Revolt
Slaves did sometimes resist their living and work conditions and treatment.
The most common resistance methods were:
1. Work slowdown
1. Breaking of tools
1. Running away
1. Poisoning of owners or overseers
This could have extremely adverse repercussions!
Myrtles Plantation - 1817
5. Open Revolt
99% of slave revolts failed and resulted in harsher treatment
and more restrictions placed on all surviving slaves afterwards.
Nat Turner Revolt – 1831
The only successful slave revolt was in Saint Dominique ( Haiti ) - 1791

37. Little Known Facts
The United States
Prior to 1655 there were no legal slaves in America – only indentured servants.
By law they had to be freed after no longer than 7 years of service and receive
20 - 50 acres of land
Anthony Johnson was a former indentured servant from
what is today Angola.
In 1654 he refused to release a black indentured servant
named John Casor after his 7 years of service.
A Virginia court ruled that Johnson could keep Casor as
his property indefinitely.
The first legal slave owner and first legal slave in America were
both black.

38. Little Known Facts
The United States
1783 – Maryland : 48 free Blacks owned 143 slaves
1830 – U.S. Census Records:
232,619 Free Blacks
10,760 Slaves owned by black slave owners
Charleston, SC. 407 Free Blacks owned 2,195 slaves
Kentucky 87 Free Blacks owned 619 slaves
1860 - U.S. Census Records:
487,958 Free blacks
20,726 Slaves owned by black slave owners
New Orleans, LA: 3,000 Free Blacks owned slaves
The majority of all slave owners in America owned between 1-5 slaves.

39. Effects of Slavery
Africa:
Some kingdoms became wealthy and powerful.
Families were separated.
Increased hatred and mistrust between tribes.
Loss of history – (oral history)
Mass migration of tribes away from slaving
areas. ( inland away from the coast )
Loss of culture.

40. Effects of Slavery
The Americas:
Cultural diffusion
New words added to common vernacular
cola, samba, tango, bongo, voodoo
New foods – biscuits, black-eyed peas, okra,
yams, watermelon, bananas and
coffee.
African music – basis for American Blues, Jazz, and
Rapp.

41. Effects of Slavery
“For the Negro, true equality will not come for five generations for
that is the difference in time that whites have had to own land,
build private fortunes, engage in commerce and build generation
upon generation the treasure of education and self-worth.”
- A. Lincoln 1864
Financial disparity
Educational disparity
Racial tensions and prejudices

42. Modern African Slavery
Researchers estimate that 21 to 36 million are enslaved worldwide
Today Africa has an estimated 10 million slaves.
.

43. Modern World Slavery
Labor Slavery. About 78 percent toil in forced labor slavery in industries where manual labor is
needed—such as farming, ranching, logging, mining, fishing, and brick making—and in service
industries working as dish washers, janitors, gardeners, and maids.
Sex Slavery. About 22 percent are trapped in forced prostitution sex slavery.
Child Slavery. About 26 percent of today’s slaves are children.

44. The worst thing about slavery is the absence of hope.