Did You Know?

Hi lovers of history, it's your friend again coming to you with historical events and facts. I welcome you to a fresh edition of your favourite content on Steem4Nigeria. Did You Know? Last week, I brought to you the introduction of the slave trade in Africa. I highlighted how the slave trade started and how the Portuguese were the first to embark on such trade, and they were also the first Europeans to step into Nigerian territory.

• Depopulation of African societies: Did you know that a lot of people, especially young men/women, were forcefully sold into slavery? Not just that, apart from being sold, there was lots of loss of lives? This is because:

1. A lot of people died due to sponsored conflicts by Europeans between African societies. Did you know that the Europeans bought firearms for African intermediaries to sponsor wars in order for them to capture war slaves and sell them into slavery? That's true. The African intermediaries were that nought just to make gains without any human sympathy.

2. Besides, a lot of people died because they vowed to die rather than follow the white men to their country.

3. A lot of slaves died as a result of harsh treatment, hunger, sickness and bad weather on their way to the New World. Let's talk about the harsh treatment the slaves received.

These people were treated just like animals. History has it that they trekked miles to the ports where they'd be exported out to Europe and America. They had no clothes, no shoes, no food and no shelter till they got to the big ships they used for exporting them.

Did you know that the slaves were given physical marks in order to be identified? Yes, it's true. Hot irons were placed on their backs, chests, or on the face for easy identification and some had their teeth forcefully plucked off for proper identification.

Still on the slaves' harsh treatment, history also has it that the African slaves were packed and stacked on shelves in ships en route to the New World. They were perpetually chained in order for them not to escape or commit suicide till they got to their destination. What this means is that they eat, defecate and urinate in the same spot.

It may interest you to know that the slaves who were sick, and maybe almost to the point of death, were usually thrown into the ocean because they weren't going to be useful. And they had no medication all through their sickness.

This is to let you know that only the strongest were able to make it to the New World. These were young men/women. Old people and children weren't profitable items of trade.

Friends, there were many negative impacts of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade on Africans. This is just part 1 of it. We'll continue with part two in our next edition.

Thank you for reading, I remain your historian friend @eveetim.💕 Feel free to make your contributions in the comment, I'll love to hear from you.