CAPTURE AND FREIGHT Lines of captives being taken to the coast Captured by europeans or sold by africans themselves, the captives were guarded by merchants with guns and whips. Tied on the neck, they had to carry heavy loads on their heads. The captives advanced slowly, terrified, with sore legs and feet as they walked distances that lasted sometimes months. Those who did'nt make it, were left to die at the border of the trails. The slaves arrived from the interior of the continent and were kept in barraks, men were tied in groups women and children were sometimes allowed to walk free inside. Due to the poor alimentation, the death rate was very high, many died before the shipment. The Slave-Ships took a long time to reach the African coasts and much longer to arrive in Brazil. Before departure the slaves were treated "better", were given more to eat, washed and shaved. Marked like cattle with a burning iron, then shiped naked to the new world. Shiped in goups of ten, like sardines Reaching for a little air and light Thousands of captives died during the travel, many had never seen the ocean and of course could not swim. The slave traders knew that only a part of the cargo would reach the New World, so, those who survived were sold at prices ten times higher as those paid in Africa. The nightmare of the slave's shipment got "better" as the time passed, the Ships got bigger and men, women and children could be separated in three decks, in the second half of the XIX century, the slaves were even vaccinated against chicken pox. Death rate would still be high, estimated around a 20%, it is believed that around 1 million and a half Africans died during the voyages.

Thanks to the continuous wars between Christians and Moslems, who were willing to gain control over the Iberian Peninsula, at the end of the XVII century, around 250'000 Europeans lost their liberty in Portugal. In other words, slavery was already a part of the European feudal society.

After its discovery in 1500, Brazil became one of the firsts countries to establish the slave trade. At the beginning, were the native Indians, specially from the Tupinambi tribe, who were forced to work in the plantations and villas. Encouraging the fights between tribes, helping them and afterwards attacking them, paid to be a good technique to get new slaves.
The natives could not resist the inhumanity of the Portuguese, the terrible food rations, European diseases and the infernal amount of work they were put through, these conditions brought them almost to extinction.

The sad solution to this corrupt way of work exploitation would last over 300 years. The main reason for the substitution of native Americans by Africans, was the progressive disparition of the Indian communities, nevertheless the Indians were described as savage, fragile and unable to work continuously. Black Africans on the other side were docile, resistant and used to hard work, they were like sculpted for slavery. Multitudes of Africans were to be exchanged against cheap merchandise at the African coasts, then sold as expensive goods in the New World. Around 10 to 15 million Africans are believed to have arrived at the Americas, 3 to 5 millions to have reached Brazil.

The African people, slaved, would never stop to fight against the condition imposed by the so called "civilized".