The Origins of Enslaved Africans in Trinidad

The majority of enslaved Africans brought to Trinidad were from various regions of West and Central Africa. Key areas included regions like modern-day Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Senegal, the Congo Basin (including the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola), and parts of the western coast of Africa. The transatlantic slave trade involved capturing and transporting people from these areas primarily in the 18th and 19th centuries to work on plantations in the Caribbean, including Trinidad. The cultural influences from these regions have significantly shaped the music, religion, and overall cultural identity of Trinidad.

Enslaved Africans in Trinidad: A Diverse Group

From just about all parts of the western half of Africa, the slavers took slaves wherever they could find them and marched them to the Atlantic. They were then sold to anyone with enough trade goods. The ships transporting these slaves often sailed thousands of miles along the coast, stopping at various places to sell some of their cargo. There was no concern for where a slave had come from or keeping tribes together. Therefore, a slave in Trinidad could have come from Timbuktu or somewhere near Cape Town, and his fellow unlucky tribesmen might have ended up anywhere from Buenos Aires to New York. Unfortunately, no African with slave ancestry has managed to trace their ancestry back to Africa.

Two Main Carrier Routes

There were two main carrier routes run by the French and the British. Slaves came from a variety of West African sources, from Gabon all the way up to Gambia and Senegal. The west coast was the main focus, and some people resemble those from Ghana and Nigeria. The Spanish, French, and British all had control over the island at some point, so they drew from their particular resource of people. Some in my own family came from places like Venezuela and Guyana and could have come from any of the other places in central and South America. The movement of slaves to various American nations was very common.

Post-Slavery Migration and Compensation

Illegal slaves held on ships after abolition were confiscated by the British patrol ships, and the rescued slaves had to work on plantations to compensate for the rescue costs. This scenario is evident in the case of an ancestor of Naomi Harris. Various countries could sell enslaved individuals before abolition, thereby avoiding any compensation for the loss of property. In summary, slaves were moved about, along with emancipated slaves who sought work in various nations.

Keywords: Trinidad slaves, West Africa, Central Africa