Slavery existed in Africa since ancient times. People were enslaved because they had been captured during war of had debts that they could not pay. Slaves in Africa were treated differently than the American slaves that we are familiar with. They were not treated as property, but more like servants with rights. Slaves could still become a full member of society.
More that 10 million slaves were captured between 1500-1800, but only 500,000 were sent to the British Colonies (U.S. Today). Slaves were transported on ships from Africa to Europe and the Americas. The voyage that slaves went on became known as the MIddle Passage, where thousands of them died before ever reaching their destination. They were transported under horrible conditions: crammed onto shelves, chained together, and were only aloud to go above deck once a day, which is when they would eat. Many tried to escape, but most of the time their attempts were unsecessful. Records show that 10% of the people who traveled the Middle Passage died while aboard ship, in other words, 1 in 10 people died.
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