2.8 African Resistance to Enslavement

Resistance began before the ships sailed

Enslaved Africans resisted the transatlantic slave trade from its earliest stages, including on the African continent and during the Middle Passage. Resistance took many forms: armed rebellion, self-starvation (refusing food), and suicide, which some viewed as a way to return spiritually to their homeland rather than submit to captivity.

Shipboard revolts

Enslaved Africans staged rebellions aboard slave ships, attempting to seize control and sail back to Africa. Most uprisings were violently suppressed, but some, like the case documented in ship logs and testimonies, succeeded or forced changes in how enslavers restrained and guarded captives, showing resistance was constant and dangerous for enslavers.

Documenting resistance

Historical evidence of resistance comes from ship captains' logs, court records, and firsthand accounts, which reveal that enslavers feared revolt enough to design ships and practices around preventing it (e.g., shackling, surveillance). This resistance demonstrates enslaved Africans' persistent assertion of agency and humanity against dehumanizing conditions.

Key terms

Middle Passage

The transatlantic voyage during which enslaved Africans were transported from Africa to the Americas under brutal conditions.

Shipboard revolt

An uprising staged by enslaved Africans aboard slave ships attempting to seize control and return to Africa.

Self-starvation as resistance

Refusing food as an act of defiance against captivity during the transatlantic slave trade.

Spiritual meaning of suicide in captivity

Some enslaved Africans believed death would let their spirit return to their African homeland rather than remain enslaved.

Evidence of resistance

Ship captains' logs and records document uprisings and enslavers' fear of revolt, revealing constant African resistance.

Try an AP-style question

Resistance to enslavement in Africa included…

1. cooperating with traders
2. fleeing and attacking slave traders
3. joining ship crews
4. selling relatives