State Historical Society of Iowa

"Inspection and Sale of a Negro," 1854

 Download Image Resource

Courtesy of Library of Congress, "Inspection and sale of a negro," 1854

Description

Enslaved Africans were forced to come to America in 1619. First as indentured servants, and then as slaves. African slave traders brought enslaved people to be inspected along the Slave Coast of West Africa, put on ships and brought to the Americas. This image shows an African man being inspected for sale into slavery while a white man talks with African slave traders.

Source Dependent Questions

  • Why were Africans inspected before being brought to America?
  • Look closely at the image, what were enslaved people traded for?
  • How do these trades show how people viewed lives that were different from their own?

Citation Information

"Inspection and sale of a negro," 1854. Courtesy of Library of Congress Courtesy of Library of Congress