AFRICANS SOLD AFRICANS FOR FIREARMS AND FOR POLITICAL NECESSITY. SOME AFRICANS NATIONS HAD TO ENGAGE IN THE SLAVE TRADE TO ACQUIRE WEAPONS TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AGAINST OTHER NATIONS WHO MIGHT ATTACK AND MAKE THEM SLAVES. AFRICANS WERE MANY PEOPLES EACH WITH THEIR OWN HISTORY AND RIVALRIES. EUROPEANS SEEKING MORE SLAVES FOR AN EXPANDING ATLANTIC MARKET CAPITALIZED ON THESE PREEXISTING NATIONAL RIVALRY.

BACAROONS—WERE ROWS OF WOODEN SHACKS ON THE COAST OF AFRICA WHERE CAPTURED AFRICANS WERE KEPT WHILE AWAITING TRANSPORT TO THE AMERICAS. COFFLE—TERM USED FOR A STRING OF SLAVES CONNECTED BY A FORKED BRANCH OR ROPE. LATER CHAINS WERE USED WHEN SLAVES WERE NEWLY CAPTURED OR PURCHASED. ON THE AVERAGE TWO OUT OF EVERY TEN AFRICANS WHO LEFT THE COAST OF AFRICA ON SLAVE SHIPS DIED DURING THE MIDDLE PASSAGE—THE TRIP FROM AFRICA TO THE AMERICAS.