Slavery still stands today as one of the worst forms of cruelty against Blacks, which reeks of terrible injustice, bondage, and gross oppression. The word “slavery” without a doubt triggers profound anger within you, but have you seen actual footage of the harsh reality of Black slaves? Your skin would definitely crawl. Each picture displayed in this video tells the disturbing story of the pain, struggles, and humiliation our ancestors once faced in the wicked hands of slave masters.
Perhaps this is one of the most popular images from the historical archives of slavery. This over 150-year-old picture speaks nothing but the horrors of Blacks in the hands of the wicked slave masters. The story behind this photo is worth a moment of deep reflection.
“The man in the picture was known as Gordon, who in the fall of 1862 received gross whipping for some strangely undisclosed reasons.”
The whipping, which was likely from the cat-o’-nine-tails whip, took huge chunks of flesh from different points on his back, leaving deep open wounds. After the plantation owner dismissed the overseer responsible for the brutal assault, Gordon spent the next two months recovering in bed. During this time, he made the decision to flee. On March 1863, he escaped from his home, journeying eastward toward the Mississippi River.
Upon discovering his absence, his master rallied several neighbors, and they pursued him with a pack of bloodhounds. Aware of the pursuit, Gordon had smartly prepared by carrying onions from the plantation, which he used to mask his scent. He did this by smearing the onion juice on the soles of his feet to cover his scent as he ran for his dear life. His quick thinking paid off as he successfully evaded capture, arriving at the safety of Union soldiers stationed in Baton Rouge 10 days later. Despite his torn clothes and mud-covered body, he had managed to travel approximately 80 miles to freedom.
While stationed at this encampment, Gordon made the decision to join the Union Army. His enlistment marked the forefront of a movement that saw nearly 200,000 African-Americans granted the opportunity to serve in segregation units, a decision made by President Lincoln just months earlier. During his medical examination before being officially inducted into the army, military physicians uncovered extensive scars on his back. Gordon was requested to pose for a photograph exposing the severe mistreatment he had endured.
Gordon’s portrait was produced in mass and quickly distributed in the widely popular carte de visite format of that era. The image sparked an instant reaction, spreading rapidly as copies circulated widely. Gordon’s portrait, hailed as a damning condemnation of slavery, emerged as potent ammunition for the abolitionist cause. An anonymous contributor to the New York Independent declared:
“This photographic depiction ought to be replicated 100,000-fold and disseminated across the nation.”
The next image you see is a dehumanizing slave market. This store, strategically and boldly located in Whitehall Street, Atlanta, was captured in 1864 by George N. Barnard during General Sherman’s occupation of the city. The sole purpose of this store was strictly to commodify human lives. Black people were put on display like chattels, inspected, and sold to the highest bidder. The atmosphere would have been charged with tension, anguish, and desperation as families faced the reality of being torn apart and individuals confronted the uncertainty of their fate. Merchants, brokers, and plantation owners profited greatly from the buying and selling of enslaved Blacks, fueling a cycle of exploitation and cruelty that enriched a privileged few at the expense of countless lives.
What’s even more chilling about this picture is the figure of a Black armed Union soldier sitting casually outside the store and reading a book like nothing inhumane was going on inside the store.
The next image portrays the brutality Black slaves endured for years. They were chained painfully to wooden stacks, secured around their necks and wrists, which no doubt would be greatly discomforting. Each clank of metal against wood served as a reminder of their powerlessness, their status as objects to be bought, sold, and discarded at the whim of their oppressors. For the enslaved man in this picture, each day brought with it a new onslaught of torment and inhumane treatment. From the grueling labor in the fields under the scorching sun to the constant threat of punishment for the slightest transgression, their existence was defined by suffering and fear.
Chains were a well-known feature of the slave trade, employed from the moment of capture into the life-threatening journey across the Atlantic and throughout the harsh realities of plantation life. The process of chaining slaves began with the capture and transportation of individuals from their homes to the coastal ports where they would be loaded onto slave ships bound for the Americas. Shackled in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, often lying in their own urine and feces for weeks or even months, the journey known as the Middle Passage was a harrowing ordeal marked by sickness, death, and despair.
Upon arrival in the New World, these slaves were subjected to further chaining and confinement. They were often chained together in long lines of men, women, and children linked by iron restraints, forced to march for miles under the scorching sun to their final destinations on plantations or auction blocks. If they happened to find themselves on a plantation, these slaves were frequently chained to prevent escape or rebellion. Iron collars, known as slave collars, were fastened around their necks, sometimes with protruding spikes or bells to discourage escaping and serve as a warning to others. Additionally, ankle chains and leg irons were used to restrict movement and enforce labor discipline. These chains were often heavy and cumbersome, causing discomfort, injury, and long-term physical damage to those forced to wear them.
Again, this is a gruesome representation of the extent of human wickedness. In this picture, you can see how captured slaves were cramped tightly together on a ship as they went on a journey of no return. The lack of space and consideration for their comfort is glaringly evident as bodies are pressed against one another in a terrible display of human cargo. As the journey progresses, the toll on their bodies becomes increasingly evident. Cramped muscles, aching joints, and the stench of bodily wastes fill the air, creating an environment of unspeakable horror. For those afflicted by severe motion sickness, the ordeal is compounded by bouts of vomiting, further worsening their suffering.
One would expect a rise in death tolls due to the lack of proper feeding, swift spread of disease, and poor ventilation. The dead bodies and terribly sick individuals were thrown into the cold sea to be lost forever. Despite their terrible circumstances, enslaved individuals were expected to maintain their physical health and appearance in order to command high prices once they arrived at their destination. To this end, they were forced to exercise regularly, often to dance while in shackles. With their bodies racked with pain and tiredness for 16 hours a day, they suffered in the dark and airless confines of the ship. Only for 8 hours, weather permitting, were they allowed above deck where they could briefly glimpse the sun and feel the sting of the salt air on their faces.
As you can clearly see in this image, violent resistance were not uncommon occurrences aboard slave ships, with up to 10% of voyages experiencing some form of rebellion. Enslaved individuals, facing the horrors of their captivity, often found themselves pushed to the brink, compelled to fight back against their oppressors in acts of desperate defiance. For many, suicide was a better option than being dehumanized by the slave masters. Many willfully threw themselves over the ship to drown or suffer at the mercy of sharks. Some resorted to hunger strikes, refusing every meal offered to them for days. Those who dared to rebel faced brutal punishments at the hands of their captors. Punishments were swift and merciless, intended not only to inflict pain but also to serve as a chilling warning to others. Enslaved individuals who resisted were subjected to forced feeding, a cruel and degrading practice designed to break their spirits and assert the authority of their captors.
You can vividly see several slaves bound together by the neck with very heavy chains as these people embark on their journey of no return. The weight of their chain serves as a constant reminder of their captivity. Bound by the neck, they are rendered powerless, unable to escape the horrors that await them. The heavy chains restrict their movement, causing discomfort and pain with each step they take. With each passing hour, they are plagued by hunger and thirst, their bodies weakened by the relentless demands of their captors. Yet they are denied even the most basic provisions, forced to endure their suffering in silence as they struggle to survive. But for some, the journey proves to be too much to bear. Exhausted and depleted, they succumb to death along the way, their bodies left to simply rot. Their deaths are mourned by none and their names forgotten.
Public floggings with the cat-o’-nine-tails, a whip with nine knotted cords attached to a handle, were another common form of punishment. These brutal displays of violence were intended to inflict maximum pain and humiliation. Slave owners were terribly cruel to the people they enslaved. Whippings were a common punishment for slaves who did something wrong, no matter how little, or disobeyed their owners. Sexual violence was also widespread, especially against Black women and girls. Slave owners would rape them, treating them like objects for their pleasure. To control them even more, slave owners would sometimes use iron muzzles to stop slaves from eating while they worked and speaking to one another. This made them feel even more powerless and dehumanized. Even the food they worked hard to grow was often denied to them. This showed how little their owners cared about their well-being.
In the illustrated photo by Thomas Branagan, a former slave trader turned abolitionist, you can see a disturbing apparatus designed to prevent escape and impede rest for enslaved individuals who attempted to flee captivity. The illustration portrays two particularly cruel devices: the mouthpiece and necklace, and the flat iron. The mouthpiece and necklace served a dual purpose of restraint and punishment. The hooks attached to the necklace were strategically placed to prevent escapees from fleeing into the woods. Moreover, the design ensured that even if the enslaved individual attempted to rest or lay down their head, the hooks would hinder any such attempt, inflicting pain and discomfort.
Meanwhile, the function of the flat iron will make you cringe with irritation. A part of this gross flat iron goes into the slave’s mouth and the tongue is forcibly held down, making speech impossible. This not only silences their cries for help but also prevents them from communicating with fellow captives. Additionally, the design of the iron is such that it obstructs the passage of their own saliva, leaving the individual unable to swallow.
This is another terrible collar used to inflict a series of horrors on Black slaves. This cold iron collar was usually fastened tightly around the slave’s neck. Like you can see, it has three extending arms with bells on it. The purpose was to alert others if the slave attempted escape. The sound of the bells would signal their presence. With three arms, the slave couldn’t silence all the bells, ensuring constant alertness. In short, these slaves faced horrible torture.
The picture shows a very important time in history when different empires were dealing with the money-making business of slavery. Some countries were starting to realize how wrong it was and were trying to stop it, but others were still making a lot of money from it and didn’t want to change. The photo itself shows African slaves from East Africa being saved and brought onto a British Navy ship called HMS Daphne. The people from Africa on the HMS Daphne were freed specifically from Arab slave traders. This shows how widespread the slave trade was and how the British Empire worked to stop it.
The HMS Daphne was initially sent to make sure a treaty with the Sultan of Zanzibar against slave trade was followed, but the selfish Sultan, who was obviously making quite a lot of money from stealing the freedom of innocent people, wasn’t keeping to the agreement. This situation shows how hard it was for people who wanted to end slavery. In Britain, for example, the fight to end slavery began in 1760. Both white and Black abolitionists worked together against powerful groups who said the slave trade was necessary for the economy. Some even said that enslaved Africans were happy, which was a lie used to keep slavery going. However, through persistent advocacy and activism, the British Empire eventually abolished slavery with the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. This legislative milestone marked a significant victory in the fight for human rights and dignity.
The next picture you’re about to see is one that could drive you to tears. These slaves not only faced severe physical torture but also a horrible mental torture. This is a heartbreaking image of a slave father known as Nsala, staring painfully at the severed hand and foot of his 5-year-old daughter. This photo was captured in colonial Belgian Congo, 1904, by Alice Seeley Harris. The only offense Nsala committed was failing to meet up with the rubber quota for the day. With that, the Belgian overseers cut off his precious little daughter’s hand and foot and finished her off with death. Like that wasn’t enough, his wife was also brutally murdered.
The Congo Free State was a corporate state in Central Africa privately owned by King Leopold II of Belgium, founded and recognized by the Berlin Conference of 1885. Throughout the years King Leopold ruled, he brought nothing but horror to the villagers who were robbed of their freedom and human dignity. Over 10 million Africans had several parts of their bodies cut off, genitals were gruesomely mutilated, people were flogged to death, and some were burnt alive. What is even more astonishing is that these inhumane acts committed by Leopold were committed without him ever setting foot in the Congo. It was 23 years of absolute hell on Earth for Black people.
The Anglo-Belgian India Rubber Company, later known as the Compagnie du Congo belge, was the company appointed to exploit natural rubber in the Congo Free State. This company no doubt enjoyed massive profit—almost times 10 of their capital—but of course, this was achieved with the sweat, tears, and blood of millions of Africans. If people failed to collect enough rubber as required, they could be sentenced to death. Additionally, the military force known as the Force Publique had a rule that they had to bring back the hands of anyone they shot as evidence. This rule was because there was a fear that they might use the expensive ammunition, which was brought from Europe, for hunting instead of their official duties. Several hands were mutilated due to unreasonable quota demand. The sight of baskets filled with severed hands presented to European post commanders represented the Congo Free State. Collecting hands became a primary objective; soldiers of the Force Publique would deliver them to the stations instead of rubber. Sometimes they would even prioritize gathering hands over collecting rubber. Hands became a form of currency used to compensate for deficiencies in rubber quotas and to fulfill demands for forced laborers. Additionally, soldiers of the Force Publique received bonuses based on the number of hands they gathered.
The final image is a proof that truly pictures are worth more than a thousand words. We could literally read into the souls of these unique individuals whose hearts are filled with anguish. We can even see the young beautiful lady trying to keep herself together as tears welled up in her eyes. Taken in 1850, this photograph showcases Renty Taylor and his daughter Delia, among the earliest known slaves in the United States. It is part of a series of early photographs known as daguerreotypes. Renty’s haunting gaze into the camera is striking, prompting curiosity about the source of his haunted expression. Renty and Delia were forced into posing completely naked by Louis Agassiz, a Harvard University professor.
Louis Agassiz indeed promoted theories of racial differences, but his role in justifying slavery was more indirect. Agassiz was a proponent of polygenism, a now discredited belief that different races had separate origins and were distinct species. However, his work primarily focused on natural history and the classification of species rather than directly justifying slavery. While Agassiz did engage in research related to race and human variation, he did not explicitly seek to justify slavery. However, his theories were often misused by others to support racist ideologies, including those advocating for slavery. It’s important to note that Agassiz’s contributions to science were significant, but his views on race were deeply flawed and have rightfully been condemned time without number.
Delia had her innocence snuffed out of her as she posed without dignity in front of a team of photographers and had every inch of her body groped, fondled, and manhandled by so-called scientists. Renty and Delia were reduced to mere specimens in Agassiz’s quest to validate racial superiority. They represent the countless lives commodified, bodies objectified, and humanity denied. As you ponder deeply on these thought-provoking images, do not ignore the uncomfortable truths they show. These photos reveal the terrible suffering endured by enslaved people over many generations. Their humanity was taken away to make money and gain power. In essence, let’s remember these photos not just as a reminder of our past, but as a reason to work together to end unfair treatment and make sure everyone is treated with utmost respect.
“Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.”
“With that in mind, do you agree that still slavery exists in a rather subtle form today?”
