AkkIVAL IN 1nL AMLkICAS

Cn reach|ng the Amer|cas the crew of s|ave sh|ps prepared the Afr|cans for sa|e
1hey washed shaved and rubbed them w|th pa|m o|| to d|sgu|se sores and
wounds caused by cond|t|ons on board 1he capta|ns usua||y so|d the|r capt|ves
d|rect|y to p|anters or spec|a||zed who|esa|ers by auct|on Iam|||es who had
managed to stay together were now often broken up 8onds formed dur|ng the
voyage were a|so brokenImmed|ate|y owners and the|r overseers sought to
ob||terate the |dent|t|es of the|r new|y acqu|red s|aves to break the|r w|||s and
sever any bonds w|th the past 1hey forced Afr|cans to adapt to new work|ng
and ||v|ng cond|t|ons to |earn a new |anguage and adopt new customs 1hey
ca||ed th|s process season|ng and |t cou|d |ast two or three years Ior Afr|cans
weakened by the trauma of the voyage the bruta||ty of th|s process was
overwhe|m|ng Many d|ed or comm|tted su|c|de Cthers res|sted and were
pun|shed 1he rest found ways of appear|ng to conform wh|ch st||| preserved
the|r d|gn|ty