what are the ways slaves were captured
After 1700, the numbers of slaves being transported increased greatly â perhaps 6 million Africans were taken as slaves to the Americas. A British slave ship set off from Liverpool or Bristol, carrying trade goods, and sailed to Africa. Some slaves were captured directly by the British traders. They ambushed and captured local people in Africa. Most slave ships got their slaves from British 'factors', who lived full-time in Africa and bought slaves from local tribal chiefs. The chiefs would raid a rival village and sell their captured enemies as slaves. In 1700, a slave cost about Â£3-worth of traded goods eg cloth, guns, gunpowder and brandy. The slaves were marched to the coast in chained lines called coffles, where they were held in prisons called 'factories'.