SLAVE TRANSPORTATION FROM AFRICA TO AMERICA 1523-1866


JUNE 12:

There is a lot of talk these days about racism and the slave trade centuries ago.  About 12 ½ million Africans were against their will taken to America in the period 1523 – 1866.  They are the ancestors of the black Americans today.

More or less all European countries took part in this activity, at least all with a coastline and ships.

This was in particular the so-called triangle trade.  The ships went off from Europe with guns, gunpowder, etc. to Africa, esp. West Africa.  Here they sold the guns and got Africans instead.  They had been caught by the local African authorities and forced to go on board the ships.  Then the ships continued 2-3 months westwards and arrived in America.  Here they sold the African slaves and got rum, sugar and spices in return.  With that on board they sailed back to Europe to sell it.

Denmark was no exception. Its ships transported 111.000 African slaves from West Africa to the Danish West Indian Islands ( now the US Virgin islands ) in the period 1660 to 1803.

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