Bunce Island was the first stop for the kidnapped African who would soon become a slave. Bunce Island was a convenient location as it was far enough away from Africa to be considered the middle of nowhere.
Bunce Island is located just off the West African Coast. The map within this article may help you get a visual understanding of what the Bunce Island location meant to the slave business.
If the Atlantic ocean did not separate countries, Africa would be puzzle-piece-connected to Brazil and cram right into the East Coast and Southern United States. In fact, islands such as Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic were/are almost a straight shot from Bunce Island.
But for the Atlantic Ocean, Africa would consume the Caribbean Islands and fit right next to Mexico and lie just above Brazil.
Potential slaves were brought to Bunce Island as a holding fort while they waited to be picked up by the larger ship, the slave-ship.
Blacks were chained and shackled then forced to sit in a huge court yard, connected to brethren with troth's between them so that in case that got hungry, they could bend down and consume mill out of the troth the way horses and other animals are fed today.
Once aboard the slave ship they were "distributed" to the numerous Caribbean Island and Brazil, onto America. Please view the slide show and video within this article.
Many Caribbean Island ancestors thereof still fight equality in the lands there and progress has not been as progressive.
Many social observers report that Blacks in the Caribbean have a deep longing for African connection and many Black American's are unaware of the sense of kinship Caribbeans feel to them and to Africa. Brother and sisterhood is a worldwide agenda for the majority of Africa's descendants who know their geography and are mentally aligned with their roots.
Bunce Island was established as a slave fort in the year 1670. Today, the island is an ill-preserved monument. Controversy over why the island is not being formally preserved still exist; Meanwhile, Bunce Island looks like overgrown grass consuming a castle.
West Coast African's were rice eaters and slave-owners would pay high cost to have African's who knew how to cultivate rice. Bunce Island played a major role in the spread of rice cultivation and West Africa was referred to initially as the, "rice coast" then later as the, "gold coast."
We reflect on Bunce Island during Black History Month and forever more as the place where slave torture was understood. Being brought behind the Bunce Island castle walls as a slave was likely the first true understanding of what lied ahead.
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