Barracoon
Encyclopedia
A barracoon is a type of barracks used historically for the temporary confinement of slaves or criminals.
In the African slave trade
, captured individuals were temporarily transported to and held at barracoons along the western coast of the continent, where they awaited transportation across the Atlantic Ocean
. A barracoon simplified the trader's task of keeping their slaves alive and in captivity, with the barracks being closely guarded and the slaves being fed and allowed exercise. These barracoons varied in size and design, from small enclosures adjacent to the factories of European traders to larger protected buildings. The amount of time a slave spent inside a barracoon depended primarily on two factors: their health and the availability of slave ships.
In the African slave trade
African slave trade
Systems of servitude and slavery were common in many parts of Africa, as they were in much of the ancient world. In some African societies, the enslaved people were also indentured servants and fully integrated; in others, they were treated much worse...
, captured individuals were temporarily transported to and held at barracoons along the western coast of the continent, where they awaited transportation across the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. A barracoon simplified the trader's task of keeping their slaves alive and in captivity, with the barracks being closely guarded and the slaves being fed and allowed exercise. These barracoons varied in size and design, from small enclosures adjacent to the factories of European traders to larger protected buildings. The amount of time a slave spent inside a barracoon depended primarily on two factors: their health and the availability of slave ships.