Analysis: The Atlantic Slave Trade

The Atlantic Slave Trade was, one of the worst times in all of History. Slaves were faced with harsh treatments, and were often afraid of what was going to happen when they came off the ships. Aboard Ships conditions were the worst, the ships were over populated, and it drove many of the slaves insane. The insensitive conditions which slaves were put in often lead many to revolt, or even end up killing themselves. When slave owners came to realize that these conditions were not the most suitable, many looked to improve conditions, and provide the slaves with better resource and creation of space. With the creation of these better conditions it also influenced the conditions in the plantations. The new conditions resulted in less revolts, …show more content…
These might have been “more suitable” conditions for the slave owners, but if they were so much better why weren’t they feeding or clothing themselves like that? Why weren’t’ they doing work the slaves had to for them? if “their work is not very laborious” (26). Slave owners really believed that slaves enjoyed being out in the sun for long periods of time, basically saying that they were no good during the winter, because they were bound to die. This knowledge gives the reader another reason why the slave owners just did it for the money, once the slaves died so did their business, so they had to work them as much as possible during the summer. Slave owner Joseph Ball seems to take very good care of his slaves, he assigns them a certain amount of blankets, clothes, and provides them with decent care when they are sick. One of the main reasons that owners like Joseph Ball di this was to have a better routine for the slaves, and make the slaves believe that they were being taken good care of. Slave owners probably though that if slaves saw the attitude and actions that were being brought upon them they would be well behaved and would listen to their master at all times, “let not the overseers abuse my people. Nor let them abuser their overseer” (44). James Barbot’s observation on the management of slaves really influence the care for the slaves, the provision of more food and …show more content…
Although, the slave owners did want to create a better environment mostly for their own gain, they mad it seemed like they really cared for them, but the slaves were very well aware of why they were acting like this and slowly came to realize the truly terrible conditions they were in. The slave owners believed that the new conditions they were putting slaves in were better and more comforting, but in reality they weren’t. “It was a manifest that I was now in a country, where the life of a black man was no more regarded than that of an ox” (75). Slaves lived in small cottages and were provided with small meals twice a day, they were made to feel like animals, and worthless beings. Slaves worked long unpaid hours, they were often left fatigued and the two meals that were provides for them just left them wanting more, they provides no energy. The only real source of energy that the slaves were being provide with was the privilege of sleep, sleep was the only thing that kept them rested and well off to go work again the next day, “I slept soundly after this day’s march, the fatigues of the body having, for once, overcome the agitations of the mind” (76). Slaves were very aware of why owners were kind “but I had no doubt that his object was to make us look fat and