• Of the Africans transported to the Americas for enslavement, males outnumbered females by a ratio of 2:1.
• Most enslaved African males were between the ages of 15 and 35.
• Male children less than 15 years of age made up around 15 – 20% of the Africans transported to the Americas.
• Very few elderly Africans were transported across the Atlantic.
• Although it is estimated that between 9 -12 million Africans were transported to Americas, there are no accurate figures for the myriad number smuggled across the Atlantic to avoid tax, duty and regulations.
• It has been estimated that over a million Africans died between the time they were captured and forced onto ships.
• Around 40% of African slaves were transported to Brazil.
• Around 40% were shipped to the Caribbean.
• The remainder were shipped to the USA and the Spanish speaking territories.
• Prior to using Africans, Europeans enslaved indigenous peoples in the Americas. On the larger Caribbean islands of Cuba, Hispanola and Jamaica, Arawak and Carib ‘Indians’ were enslaved by Europeans to work in mines and enclosures. However, overwork, disease and general brutality led to the rapid depletion of their population within several generations.

On Europe

• European indentured labour (a fixed time of service) was also used in the USA and islands such as Barbados.
• Bristol, like Liverpool, became legally involved in the slave trade after the London controlled Royal Africa Company lost its charter in 1698. It is estimated that between 1698 and 1807, nearly 2,100 slave-related ships set out from the port.
• The voyage from Britain to Africa could take anything from four weeks to over two months depending on the weather, size of the ship and route taken.
• In the 18th century slavers from Bristol ranged from 27 tons to 420 tons.
• The triangular trip could take a year to complete. Many of the ship’s crew were paid in advance for the initial voyage to Africa. (Most used this money to pay off debts, buy provisions or give to their families.)
• As well as Liverpool, London and Bristol other British slave trading ports included Lancaster, Whitehaven, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Glasgow and Exeter.