INTRODUCTION

Slavery was the worst and oldest example of mans cruelty that early societies
made slaves of people captured in wars. Slavery existed in Africa before the
Europeans started the slave trade. However, the way slaves were treated in Africa
was quite different from how they came to be treated on plantations in the West
Indies and Americas.
In Africa, the numbers were smaller and it was not the same as the terrible wastage
of life. People became slaves in various ways. Some were captured in tribal wars;
others were made slaves as punishments for the crimes they had committed.
In the 17th century slaves were needed to work on plantations, since there was a
change over from tobacco to sugar. The Europeans went to the villages in Africa,
and captured the Africans to work as slaves on the sugar plantation. They captured
the Africans because they were capable of working, their skins were tough and also
they were used to the climate. Sugar cane was a great profitability and needed
labour than tobacco. Africans were also easier to transport because they were
closer to the Caribbean. Also during the middle passage, African slaves were
treated harshly. When the Europeans captured African slaves, they were maltreated
by the Europeans.

RATIONALE
The researcher chosen to take up the topic How were the slaves treated in Africa
and what they had to suffer from when they were captured until when they arrived
in the Caribbean?
The researcher has chosen this topic because slavery was cruel towards the
Africans. The faced much harsh treatment from the white population. As an Indian
student, the researcher has admired the struggles of the Africans and would like to
appreciate it, also because the Africans were mentally and physically strong
people. The researcher would like to know how the slaves overcame the challenges
they faced, examine how the Africans were treated during their journey to the
Caribbean, investigate how they were captured and how African slavery was
different from West Indian slavery.
The researcher would like to examine in the above points, the challenges that the
slaves faced and by doing that, the researcher would gain additional information on
the treatment of slaves from their capture until their arrival into the Caribbean. By
doing this the researcher would gain a lot more knowledge for the CSEC
examination in 2017.

REPORT
The slaves were treated different in Africa until they were captured by the
Europeans; Slaves in Africa worked on their plantations and also fought in wars.
Slaves lived in small huts with their families. They had a better life until they were
captured. There was a huge ship sailing towards the continent of Africa that was to
capture the Africans to work on the sugar plantations in the Caribbean. As the ship
reached the coast of Africa, the white men came out and started to attack the
Africans. The Africans were captured in tribal wars, after they were put into a
coffle, to march to the coast. In the coffle, the slaves were chained around their
ankles and their necks, the men were divided with some in front, while some were
put behind while walking. Many slaves started to show signs of sickness and many
were beaten to keep walking. Those who stowed down the caravan was left to die,
they had to march until they came to a huge building. The slaves learnt that this
was a fort.

The fort was where the slaves had to be kept. The fort was divided into dungeons
which were dark, after couple days they were ordered to come out of the fort and
taken onto the coast since the fort was not far. There were guards stripping the
slaves and giving them a bath. This was so public, but the slaves made the best use
of it to get clean. They were allowed to dry off and then oiled until they were sold.
The slaves were then allowed a big meal that they could actually classify as food
since their capture. One of the men came forward and spoke in different languages

to facilitate their understanding. This was new since they hardly said anything to
the slaves except their usual showers, but then again everything was new for the
slaves. Later in the day, a huge body that seemed to float in the mid-air on the
water arrived on the coast. This was called a ship, many men came on this ship.
The men had different skin colour from the slave men.

The slaves were then examined by a surgeon for any clinical or viral diseases. A
mulatto, a half while and a half and a half white, did the examination. After the
selection process was over, the slaves were taken to another location right on the
coast and not too far away from the coast, this was called a barracoon.

The area was slightly cleaner than the fort, but still degrading. They were given a
measured amount of the same food received earlier but it was enough. They were
placed in groups, they were also kept in baracoons for two days during which, and
slaves were heavily guarded and then were asked to go back to the coast. The
slaves assembled on the coast to be put into the big ship. Slaves were separated
from their families, there were two groups after they were examined the sound

ones and the rejected ones. No slave made any attempt to escape since it would
have been useful. The rejected group which was not very large was left on the
coast to perish since they would apparently serve no purpose for the white. Slaves
were placed in a tire of the ship between the hold and the main deck. They were
sturdy wooden boards of 50ft and 3 inches high and 4ft inches wide. This was
unbearable; the ladies were kept separate from the men, but were treated with the
same harshness. The place was filthy and extremely heated, as more people came
on board, the ship became crowed. Slaves were allowed no hygiene, at intervals
some of the sailers would go down with buckets of water to wash the slaves out,
but this did nothing to ease the noise and pungent scent.

The slaves often became home sick. Men, women and children, died of small pox,
scurvy and bad ventilation. These people were thrown overboard to lessen the
vessels cargo. Slaves were allowed to exercise on days that the men saw fit to
bring them out, and many jumped overboard on such occasions. This was a crazy
attempt, and so slaves stayed far from the ship rails, also the sailers had to keep a
closer eye on the men especially on rainy days. Slaves had to be kept inside on the
cold boards. As time went by, women suffered a cruel fate. Their ruthless days
continued with more people dying, and more people getting whipped.

The slaves have learnt that their journey was called the middle passage. Also by
now the slaves could understand each other better and then made some
acquaintances with some people. However slaves rarely spoke to slaves because of
the fear of being punished. Once one of the white sailors caught a group of slaves
talking, he thought that they were plotting against them and for that the whole
group was whipped across their backs and then salt was rubbed into their wounds.
The slaves yelled in pain. The slaves journey ended one day when the ship
stopped moving. Slaves were taken to the top deck and given a little bath, then had
to leave the ship. Slaves came off the ship and stepped outside, they had to march a
little way into huge buildings where lots of white men were sitting down on chairs.
They looked at the slaves questioningly and turn their faces away in disgust. This
was called an auction.

At the auction slaves were particularly naked and examined from head to toe by a
set of people. Many of times the white men fought over them while some just over
looked the slaves as minors. They bid and re-bid and argued until they got the
person of their choice. Slaves were like toys on sale. Finally some slaves were sold
to a white planter from St. Kitts and Nevis. After the slaves were put aside and
watched as the others were hassled and then sold later. They were banded with
their own seal. The branding iron was hot and it burns the skin of the slaves. The
slave journey ends here and the slaves has vowed to forget all ties at home and
decided to face all whatever the futures holds for them.

Acknowledgement
The researcher would like to thank these persons for assisting in this project to
make it a successful one. The following persons are:
God
My parents
My teacher

Conclusion
In conclusion the researcher has learnt the how the slaves over come the
challenges they face also how they were capture , examine how the African
were treated during their journey to the Caribbean an also what they had to
face.