These items were exchanged for African slaves. The slaves were sailed to North America, South America, and the Caribbean and exchanged for sugar, tobacco, and other products that were shipped to Europe. The trip from Africa to the Americas took at least six weeks. A ship often had 30 crewmen and carried about 300 slave men, women, and children. For the slaves, it was a long horrible trip. Not only did they worry about what the future held for them, but also they endured inhumane conditions on the ship. Each slave had both feet shackled to other slaves. The sleeping area, which was below the deck, was composed of un-sanded plank floors that had only 18 inches or less of headroom. The narrow space, lacked light and fresh air, sitting was impossible, and it was difficult to change positions without hurting one's neighbor. Things were worse when bad weather was encountered. During these times, slaves stayed below for extended periods. After the storm, seamen often found dead Africans intertwined with others who were still alive. Because the journey was so long and disease was easily contracted, about 10 to 20 percent died on the way to the Americas?.2.
But it was soon realized that slavery is thoroughly inhuman and insult of human being. Despite that realization there was still a long way to go in so far as abolition of slavery was concerned. .
?In 1807, the British Parliament banned the Atlantic slave trade. Not long after, the United States banned it in 1808. In 1815, after pressure from the British, France and the Netherlands agreed to ban the slave trade and Portugal agreed to end it after a few years. In 1817, Spain signed a treaty agreeing to immediately end the slave trade north of the equator and south of the equator in 1820. Despite agreements and legislation, some slave trading still continued?. 2 .
Starting form the Black Codes of 1865 to the 50th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the American history still calls for to brood over each and every details of that struggle which took many years to see the sun of total freedom and liberty.