Leg irons
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Leg Irons
These 19th century leg-irons were used to restrain the enslaved. The metal bar is turned and withdrawn and the two horseshoe-shaped rings fitted around the ankles. The bar is then replaced, turned, and locked into position. Sometimes two captives were chained in pairs with the leg-irons on board ship to limit their movement below deck. These leg-irons are made of rough solid iron and very heavy. They would rub the skin causing it to chaff, bruise and bleed.
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First Hand Accounts
There are a number of eye-witness accounts of the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade and the infamous 'Middle Passage',...Read more...
Slave Forts on the African coast
Once the captured Africans arrived at the Atlantic, they were taken to one of the many slave forts that could be found along the coastline. Read more...
Capture and Enslavement
Slavery in early sub-Saharan Africa took a variety of forms. While most slaves were field workers, some served in royal courts as officials. Read more...
