The Unvarnished, Non Whitewashed Inhumanity of Slavery
A captain arriving at port typically wished to sell his slaves as quickly as possible, to realize his full profit and minimize his personal risk through revolts. The day of docking at Americas, crew would gather all of the Africans captives and prepare them for auction. Preparing them would consist of slaves being washed, lathering their skin with grease or tar to give them a smooth and healthy appearance, darkening grey hairs with tar or oil, and the covering of any physical wounds. Men were forced to drink 2 shots of rum to awake them and loosen their moods during auction. In some cases, when African slaves were suffering from stomach illnesses that they contracted onboard, crews would place corks as plugs in their anuses so that the appearance of any sickness - like sudden bowels (diarrhea) - would be masked. Wealthy large plantation owners often pre-purchased their slaves, as they already knew what type of labor was needed in their fields, and some only purchased their preferred ethnic groups in Africa that they believed were stronger laborers and would offer a bigger payout. The Mandika (also referred to as Mandingo) was a major ethnic group that was in high demand for slave labor. The slaves that were not pre-purchased, were up for sale at auction.
The sale of slaves took place inside of slave pens, on ship decks, and at city Court Houses. Auctions were advertised as soon as it was confirmed when a slave ship was due to arrive. Posters labeled the incoming Africans as “merchandise” and were displayed all over towns that had existing plantations; auctioneers notified prominent plantations owners well in advance so they could prepare their funds or potential trades. There were two main types of slave auctions: those that sold to the highest bidder, and “grab-and-go” auctions (also known as scrambles). Some auctions hosted a sale of more modest amounts, ranging 10–40 slaves, but larger auction houses sold 50 to a hundred slaves in a single day.
During auction, the African slaves in America were inspected and evaluated by their prospective buyers like merchandise on display. While nude, their mouths were pulled open to view their teeth and they specifically looked for any sign of disease; their limbs were pinched to determine muscle mass, and their bodies were slapped to witness the slave’s sturdiness; each slave was forced to bend over in different directions to ensure they weren’t hiding any hidden wounds, and were made to walk up and down to detect any signs of limpness in their step. Men, women, and children all lifted various heavy items to test their physical strength. Women’s anatomies were thoroughly examined by the slave owners, as they were eager to use them at their sexual disposal. Women were seen as sexual objects first, laborers second. Their breasts, vagina, and buttocks were gawked at, rubbed, slapped, poked, and pinched, to determine how the women would respond - if their resistance was minimal to the treatment, they would be more inclined to increase their purchase amount. Buyers would have little (if any) time to ascertain the true health conditions of their African slaves, and would only discover diseases if it became apparent in the future. Once the inspections were complete, the African slaves were finally made to stand on a raised platform nude (or with a groin cloth for men), so they could be seen in their full extent by prospective buyers, and then the auctioneer started the bidding.
Healthy young men between the ages of 15 and 45 usually sold first and at the highest value, as they were considered long-term investment property – they could work the fields and produce children that would automatically become slaves. Older men and unhealthy men were also sold, at lower prices, but there was still a strong market for them, particularly amongst new plantation owners who were just starting in slave investment; elderly men were also popular as “gifts” to new young families that needed butler service or personal assistance to help keep their new household in tact. At traditional auctions, buyers would bid against each other at the starting price determined by the auctioneer, and the person who bid the most would then become owner to that slave. But for slave auction “scrambles”, a starting gun would be fired to initiate the purchase, and the buyers would surge into the slave pens to collect the individuals they desired. Fights broke out often amongst the buyers, who were determined to buy the slaves they wanted, making traditional auctioning (i.e. highest bidder) the standard practice for purchasing slaves.
American bidders didn’t normally purchase entire families, and instead opted for the strongest and healthiest member, or the most affordable, so the auctions were generally the last time existing families saw each other. Children were the last to be purchased, as there was littlest use for them, and they were given miniscule tasks in the field and as servants in the house until they could be more useful in production. Mothers of children would scream and cry during the separation process, often falling out, and would have to be carried away from the auction by other slaves. This resulted in immense depression amongst African slave mothers, who were unable to cope with the displacement of their children.
kaledo-art
jacobvanloon
2087
yousharknotpass
turnnoffyourmind
theartofmadeline
germansingergirl
jbbartram-illu
