From Jessica McElrath,
Your Guide to African-American History.
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European Slave Traders

During the 17th and 18th century, the demand for slaves was at its peak. European slave traders quickly provided the labor needed. The potential of earning a small fortune in the slave trading business was enough of a profit for traders to put aside the fact that Africans were human beings. In 1760, in some markets, a trader could sell a male slave for 50 pounds, which was enough to live comfortably for one year. With the promise of making a more than a decent living from the slave trade, it became a profitable career.

African Slave Traders

Traders could not have been successful without the formation of relationships with the Africans who provided them with other Africans to enslave. African captors kidnapped their countrymen and brought them to slave factories on the west coast of Africa. The journey was long and it is estimated that of 20 million slaves, half did not make it to the coast. Captured Africans could spend as little as a few weeks and to up to a year in a factory. In return for providing human cargo to the slavers, African kidnappers received guns, textiles, iron bars, and other products.

The Journey to the Americas

The next phase of the slave trade entailed the placement of African slaves on ships that were bound for the long journey to the Americas. It was known as the Middle Passage because it was the middle leg of a three-part voyage. The voyage began in Europe, where the ship was packed with goods to bring to Africa to exchange for African slaves. The slaves were sailed to North America, South America, and the Caribbean, and exchanged for sugar, tobacco, and other products that were shipped back to Europe.

The trip from Africa to the Americas took at least six weeks. A ship often had 30 crewmen and carried about 300 slave men, women, and children. For the slaves, it was a long and horrible trip. Not only did they worry about what the future held for them, but they also endured inhumane conditions on the ship. Each slave had both feet shackled to other slaves. The sleeping area, which was below the deck, was typically composed of un-sanded plank floors that had only 18 inches or less of headroom. The narrow space lacked light and fresh air, sitting was impossible, and it was difficult to change positions without hurting one's neighbor.

Things were worse when bad weather was encountered. During these times, slaves stayed below for extended periods. After a storm, seamen often found dead Africans intertwined with others who were still alive. Because the journey was so long and disease was easily contracted, about 10 to 20 percent died on the way to the Americas.

Not all Africans submitted to enslavement without a fight. Some wanted to die rather than face an unknown fate. It was not uncommon for a desperate man or woman to try to jump overboard. Others took a more slow approach by refusing to eat. This method often caught on and other Africans followed. Crewmen reacted quickly to prevent them from starving to death. In these cases, they forced them to eat by beating and torturing them, force feeding, or the use thumbscrews, a torture device used to crush thumbs and fingers. Because slaves were thought of as valuable property, it was important to keep them alive. Therefore, crewmen tried not to cause death or permanent harm.

The End of the Slave Trade

In 1807, the British Parliament banned the Atlantic slave trade. Not long after, the United States banned it in 1808. In 1815, after pressure from the British, France and the Netherlands agreed to ban the slave trade and Portugal agreed to end it after a few years. In 1817, Spain signed a treaty agreeing to immediately end the slave trade north of the equator and south of the equator in 1820. Despite agreements and legislation, some slave trading still continued.