The Europeans used the Africans as domestic slaves, laborers and sex objects. They were kidnapped from their homes, treated deplorably, traded and sold. They were naked, cramped, sick and starving aboard a ship heading to South America, Caribbean and North America.
Before they got aboard the ship, they were taken from their homes, stripped of their clothes and separated into two groups the healthy and the sick. The healthy ones were then branded with a hot iron marking them with the nation where they were going so they couldn't be switched with the sickly ones.
Once on board they were in a cramped area of the ship not even big enough to stand up in and usually chained together. The voyage could last up to four months and nearly half of the slaves died on board. The ones who survived sometimes wished they hadn't because this was only the beginning of their cruel treatment.
Once at their new homes, their masters beat the slaves. Almost anything or nothing could bring on their beatings such as if they made a mistake, spoke too loudly or just looked dissatisfied. The women in addition to working in the homes and the fields were used for sex.
I think that the Africans were treated deplorably. Most Americans treat animals better than what was done to these individuals. Parents now feel guilty about punishing their own child when they misbehave and wouldn't think of spanking them today. When we look back on how the slaves were treated, I think all Americans feel that this was a terrible, terrible time and it should have never occurred. It was a shame that because of their greed and selfishness that millions of African had to die during this period.
