Scramble (slave auction)

A scramble was an early form of slave auction which took place at the height of the Atlantic slave trade in the British colonies of the West Indies in the eighteenth century.

History

A slave auction

During the height of the slave trade, demand for slaves in the British West Indies was so great that, at a slave auction, purchasers of slaves would literally "scramble" to gather as many slaves as they could. Slaves newly transported from Africa would be herded into a pen, surrounded by eager buyers, often pushing and shoving in order to position themselves to grab hold of the finest specimens. A starting gun would be fired, and the buyers would surge into the pen to try and collect the best individuals.[1] Often, fights broke out among the buyers. [2]

Following the scramble, buyers lined up with their "captured" slaves and paid for them. [2]After this, slaves would be branded with the initials of their new owners.[1]

The system had a number of advantages for the sellers of slaves. A captain arriving in port typically wished to sell his cargo as quickly as possible, in order to realize his profit and, given the ever-present possibility of revolt among his charges, to minimize his personal risk. Slaves would be "prepared" for the auction, given food and rum to make them appear strong and healthy. Slave sellers had many tricks up their sleeves in order to present their cargo in the best possible light. Grey hair might be darkened, damaged skin oiled - even dysentery might be disguised by literally plugging the anus of the unfortunate slave with a cork.[2] Buyers would have little if any time to ascertain the true health of their purchase - only later might disease or infirmity become apparent. [3]

Later, the scramble gave way to the somewhat more civilized auction; however, the outcome for the slaves was the same.

See also

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