Reaching America — The Auction
Once those who survived The Middle Passage stepped foot on American soil, they would immediately be sold. Most slave ships from Africa landed in various ports on the Southeastern coast of America like Richmond Virginia, Savannah Georgia, and New Orleans. The sales of the slaves differed in size and location: taking place on the side of the road or in front of a tavern, to grand affairs in the city center where hundreds of slaves were sold in a day and families came out to enjoy the festivities and entertainment which was put on for the enjoyment of interested buyers and their families. Many sites had designated auction blocks upon which the slaves would stand to be previewed before the buyers. Just like as if they were buying a horse, the slaves would be minutely examined by prospective buyers. The slave’s teeth would be examined, they would be stripped of their clothes and prodded, and asked all manners of personal questions by the curious buyers. They were even labeled as chattel, so on the day of the auction, they would be identified as chattel number 5 and so on. Also, for the first time, slavery in America was made hereditary and permanent. Virginia passed a Slave Code in 1662, that any child born to that of a female slave would automatically be born into slavery, regardless of the father. This ensured the continuity and legality of slavery in America. This also meant that mothers were often separated from their children as soon as they reached an age where they could be put to work.
A slave could be sold numerous times in their lifetime, often with no warning or explanation. While it may have been just another business transaction for the owners, for the slaves, auctions were a life-changing event with devastating consequences. Often, an auction meant that the slave would be forever separated from their family and relationships that they had fostered over the years. While marriage between slaves was not legally recognized, slaves often ‘married’ with the permission of their masters. The relationship and the family unit was especially important to the slaves as it provided a sense of normality, stability, and love in their lives. Slaves with a spouse and children were less inclined to run away or cause trouble, so slave owners also saw the benefit of allowing their slaves to ‘marry.’ Unfortunately, marriage did not protect the slave family’s from being ripped apart if the owner decided to sell them. In an auction, it was not uncommon for the whole family to be sold individually to different owners, sometimes in different counties, never to meet again.
After surviving the horrific voyage, I can only imagine the terror and fear that the unwilling passengers must have felt. I can’t even begin to imagine what they must have felt knowing that some great unidentified threat awaited them as soon as they got off the ship, but it was also impossible to stay in the ship’s bowel of hell. Many on the journey are said to have died from depression and mental anguish rather than from disease or physical ailment. The horror of their experience and the terror of the unknown was so great that they literally willed themselves to die. Can anyone imagine the hopelessness and the rage they must have felt for being put in this situation for no other reason than being at the wrong place at the wrong time?
