Transatlantic Slavery: A Glimpse into Female and Child Exploitation

Source 1 (Primary): Female Slave and Child

Source 2 (Secondary): Case Study by Steven Mintz

A source created on the 12th of August in 1797 depicts an advertisement for the sale of a 22 year-old female slave, who has a nine month old child and is being offered at the purchaser’s option. The primary source was published by the ‘Rising Sun’ as a newspaper clipping. African Americans were objectified as shown by the description ‘A remarkable smart healthy Negro Wench’ and families were often separated by the buyer’s wish. A case study journal by Steven Mintz from Columbia University on ‘Childhood and Transatlantic Slavery’ informed that infant and child mortality rates were twice as high among slave children compared to southern white children

He explained how he and his sister were kidnapped and brought away in a large sack. He described the ‘loathsomeness of the stench and crying together’ as he starved himself and was flogged severely. He recounted his journey from running away from his master after accidentally killing one of his chickens and later forgiven by his merciful master. He is later sold to a group of travellers and meets his sister before being eventually sold to a wealthy widow and her young son who treat him with more respect. He is later forced onto a slave ship again in the heat of the climate, watched others down themselves and he was flogged for attempting to commit suicide. Throughout his transportation, he viewed the westerners as cruel, greedy and bad spirits. In his later years, he witness clerks and other white men rape the African American women and being in no power to protect them. He later purchased his freedom for 70 pounds he saved from selling

The men were held captive, endured the sweltering heat, filthy conditions of the cargo hold and had barely enough space to sit upright. Women and children had slightly better conditions as they were positioned on deck under the watchful eyes of the crew. They were forced to dance when the weather permit or would be flogged by the cat-o’-nine-tails. Many tried to escape the terrible experience by throwing themselves overboard or starving themselves to death, to prevent this they crew kept a watchful eye on their movements on the decks.

Another primary source text by Ottobah Cugoano in ‘Thoughts and Sentiments on the Evil of Slavery’ described his experience as loud with the rattling of chains, whips, groans and cries of thousands of captives. He saw the slave traders as ‘barbarous robbers’, cruel and merciless. Upon arrival, their horrible experiences continued as they were ‘seasoned’ and prepared for an appealing sale and were treated like livestock. The captives were separated from their families, washed, shaved, oiled to appear healthy and enhance their muscular build in order to increase their sale