In the case of pregnancy, a hole might be dug for the pregnant woman to rest her belly while being whipped. No condition makes an exception for any slave: the young, old, male, female, including pregnant women where lashed whenever the occasion calls for such. Slaves were whipped daily it must not necessarily be when they have committed a serious offence, rather, beatings, whippings and other torture acts were a form of mind and body control a way to re-assert the dominance of their masters and also demoralize the slaves, keeping them bent on their labour. The number of lashes which were always many depended on the seriousness of the offence. The whippings and beatings were usually so horrific and as bad as you could ever imagine. The main method used to control the behaviour of slaves was the threat of having them whipped. In slave ships, the slaves were harshly boarded on to ships and packed into tight spaces, one on top of another and restrained by shackles- unable to move or breathe. The use of shackles to enslave Africans was prevalent and in use until the 1860’s. This particular artefact was created, according to records between 1780-1804 and made of wrought iron. This artefact was used to shackle a slave’s wrists and depending on the situation, their ankles on the occasion of a slave being transported.
The use of shackles and handcuffs in slave markets had always been one of the most shocking aspects of slavery throughout history. Slave shackles were common items used as early as the 15th century to chain slaves, either on the wrists, ankles or neck. Here are the 10 most gruesome ways slaves were punished by their master – They are really heartbreaking! 8. Since the enslaved people are nothing less than properties in the custody of their masters, they are treated in the most bizarre manners that have no human consideration attached. Slave trade is one of the social phenomena in history that is associated with the cruellest and dehumanizing treatments. The ancient Greeks, Romans, British, Portuguese, Spanish, Incas, Aztecs, and so on, were all involved in the slave trade in one form or the other. Slavery has been in existence throughout history, spreading through almost every culture, nationality and religion, from ancient times to the present day. Slavery refers to a condition in which individuals are owned by others who control the general conditions of their lives, including where they live, what they eat, their work, movements, etc.