The Slave Ship: A Human History

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, sexual violence, child sexual abuse, death, and suicide.

The African path to enslavement was a traumatic process that began inland, often in the wake of conflict, judicial punishments, or organized raids, and ended on the coast, where captives were sold to European enslavers and transported across the Atlantic. These experiences varied widely depending on the regions and societies involved but shared common elements of violence, coercion, and profound displacement. In 1794, a territorial dispute between the Gola and Ibau kingdoms over hunting rights escalated into violence. After a skirmish left a Gola man dead, the Gola retaliated with an invasion, capturing and selling Ibau prisoners as enslaved people. The conflict spiraled, with hundreds taken captive. Such localized disputes often led to widespread violence and enslavement. In this case, captives were marched in coffles—bound by poles and neck restraints—to the coast, where they were sold to European traders. This marked the transition from African to European control, symbolized by the “change from cordage to iron fetters” (74).

The process of enslavement began deep inland. For many, the journey to the coast, often hundreds of miles, was marked by deprivation, brutal discipline, and attempts to escape.