The Universal Traveller

To learn about the slave trade in Africa, we must rely on books written and illustrated by Europeans who visited Africa in the eighteenth century.Thomas Salmon's "The Universal Traveller" is one such book. Salmon describes his travels in West Africa, particularly the Guinea coast, which was also called "Calabar" in the 1700s.

In his book, Salmon described African clothing styles:

The Cloathing of the Men is Linen wrapped about their Loins, and thrown over the Left Shoulder, the Right Arm always bare, and a white cap on their Heads. The Women are covered almost from head to Foot; but both Sexes go bare-legged, and dress up their hair wtih glittering Shells and Toys.

Salmon also described African houses:

Their houses are low little Huts, not quite so bad as many in Yorkshire [England], built with Wooden Stockades set in the Ground, in a round or Sqaure Form, thatched with Straw... Whole Towns shift their Habitations, either when they do not like their Neighbors, or in Expectation of greater Conveniences elsewhere, soon clearing Ground enough for what building and Culture they propose.

Of the slave trade, Thomas Salmon observed:

Guinea has a Multitude of petty Sovereigns, who are frequently at Wars with each other, the Slaves are generally taken in these Wars, not only Men, but Women and Children; for where they invade a Country with any Success, they carry all the Inhabitants into Captivity. There are also, a great many others, who are made Slaves for Debt, or for some Misdemeanour, and not only the Debtor, or Criminal himself loses his liberty, but often times his whole Family, and all that are related to him.

Slavery was not new to Africa—Africans and Arabs had dealt in slaves for centuries. By the time the Europeans arrived, an extensive slave trade network had developed. Most slaves came from the interior, hundreds of miles from the coast. African slave traders captured or kidnapped them in their home villages and forced them to make grueling marches to port cities.

In Africa, a slave was treated well and considered a member of the family. In some cases, slaves could inherit their master's property or regain their freedom. In the Americas, slavery quickly became a much more oppressive institution.

Though they did not invent the slave trade, European nations expanded it tremendously. English, Spanish and Portuguese created the Transatlantic (or Triangle) Slave Trade. European ships brought cargoes of clothing, liquor, iron and glass to Africa, which they traded for slaves. They carried their slave cargo to the New World and exchanged it for cash or sugar, tobacco, cotton or coffee. Despite their forts, few European nations managed to establish a strong base in Africa, so most slave ships anchored off the coast until enough slaves could be found to fill the cargo hold.

This growing demand for slaves led African traders to become increasingly ruthless in acquiring them, causing some the population of some African nations to shrink in the eighteenth and nineteenth centures. About ten to fifteen million Africans were captured and sold into slavery during the course of the transatlantic slave trade. About one million of them ended up in North America.

Where did all the other slaves go?

Thomas Salmon's Universal Traveller is a Colonial Williamsburg Foundation rare book.
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