Saltwater Slavery: A Middle Passage from Africa to American Diaspora

Saltwater Slavery: A Middle Passage from Africa to American Diaspora by author and history professor Stephanie E. Smallwood is a work of historical nonfiction that recreates the trade of enslaved people through the eyes of enslaved African people. Published in 2007, it won the 2008 Frederick Douglas Book Prize, awarded to the best book written in English regarding slavery or abolition. The book seeks to expand the current understanding of the Atlantic trade of enslaved people through a deep analysis of the records of the Royal African Company from 1675 to 1725. This archival material includes voyage journals, business records, and correspondence generated by white European settlers and traders of enslaved people. Through these documents, Smallwood recreates the journey of early enslaved African people from their homes to the Gold Coast, across the Atlantic Ocean on what is commonly known as the Middle Passage, to the Americas.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide discuss slavery, abuse, and suicide. This guide uses the word “slave” in quotation only.

Smallwood begins by describing the trade of enslaved people on the Gold Coast in the 17th century.