Many Africans were captured and forced to work as slaves in America all in the name of profit and greed. These Africans have either been forced or tricked into slavery. Then they were forced to work in the harsh conditions of plantations. The slaves were beaten and treated as if they were a piece of property. The slavery of Africans in America went on for a very long period of time.
The transportation of Africans to America was very cruel. About fifteen million slaves were transported on the ships to America. To save money, they would stuff a lot of Africans in one boat so they could transport more Africans at a time. The Africans were chained together by their hands and feet with almost no room to move. Half of the slaves aboard the ships either died by a disease, starvation, suffocation, or they committed suicide. Some of the Africans who survived the boat trip were injured for life.
"The first Africans in America arrived in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619" ("Slavery" pg17). At first they were know as indentured servants. Indentured servants could earn their freedom by working as artisans or laborers for the European settlers. By 1640, "Maryland was the first colony to institutionalize slavery" which was followed by other states (www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASafrica.htm). After that the indentured servants became slaves they no longer could not earn their freedom. The Africans were then treated more poorly than when they were indentured servants.
The slaves would usually work on plantations that grew crops like tobacco, rice,.
sugarcane, and cotton. The slaves would be out working on the fields from sunrise till sunset and sometime the whole night if there was enough light out. The women slaves .
had to work the same long hours as the men did even if they were sick or pregnant. With all the work the slaves did, they did not get any money. The plantation owner made all.
the profit. Most plantation owners would buy at least a hundred slaves to get the work done faster.
