Began in 1500s and went on for about 300 years. Was this the first time in history slaves had been used/traded? (no – Greeks, Romans, etc.) Then why was this slave trade so historic? (first to cross the Atlantic) What purpose?
It is important to note that in this age of European expansion, European countries were looking to trade more than just slaves. Those slaves were yielding resources that were worth a great deal of money. So, we run into something called “triangular trade”
Packing Instructions: This showed ship owners how to most efficiently pack his ship with slaves. This was all below deck – no windows, no bathrooms, little to no food or water, and they were all shackled. Imagine being like that for 1-6 months. It’s no wonder many slaves chose to commit suicide by jumping ship…a death by drowning seemed kinder than a middle passage cruise into a life of slavery