What Happened to Captive Africans Arriving in Barbados

Sale at Bridgetown Market

Ships docked in Bridgetown; captives were held in barracoons (holding pens) for days/weeks—fattened, shaved, oiled to improve appearance.

Auction Process

• Grouped by age, sex, perceived skill, physical condition.
• Planters/agents inspected teeth, muscles, scars (like livestock).
• Sold individually or in lots to highest bidders.
• Families routinely separated.

After Sale

• Transported to sugar plantations (St. Philip, St. John, St. George parishes).
• Seasoning period (1–3 years) with 20–30% mortality from disease, overwork, trauma.
• Forced labor 16+ hrs/day, 6 days/week; brutal discipline.

Barbados was the prototype for British Caribbean slave society—replicated across the region.