African Slave Trade

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The Slave Trade

The Portuguese established trading stations in equatorial Africa . These trading stations financed slave hunts in the African West coast . After each trading station met its quota , the slaves were loaded in ships bound to the New World . The slaves were chained by groups . The women were not separated from the men . They were fed once every two days Water was available but insufficient in quantity . After the ships loaded `the cargo ' in Cuba , they were then sold in plantations

In

his narrative , Equiano wrote that slaves working outside plantations were treated cruelly . Most of them suffered severe punishments like the so-called `iron muzzle ' Some slaves had their tongues cut so that they would not experience the punishment . Fear ruled the minds of slaves Indeed , even Equiano thought that the eyes of paintings followed him - a sign of psychological condescending . In his narrative , Equiano admitted of attempting to wash his color

The children were loaded in a special compartment of the ships . The infants were to their mothers while older children were cast into the `tunnel ' Child slaves had little value in the plantations and even in private homes . Slave traders found it necessary to separate the children prior to the shipment . However , in Cuba , child slaves were in private homes

The slaves at St . John could only hope for a greener pasture in the New World , far from violence and cruelty . However , this was an empty dream because the New...