Africa to Carolina

The forced removal of enslaved persons from Africa to North Carolina began in the early sixteenth century, launching an epic journey in both proportion and impact.

Enslaved Africans arrived at North Carolina's ports of Bath, Beaufort, Brunswick, Edenton, New Bern, and Wilmington. In an unfamiliar land, these captive people faced horrific conditions while developing ways to resist, survive, and build the infrastructure of a new nation.  Within this paradox, enslaved Africans shaped the colony's history, culture, and economy.

Enslaved Africans constructed the foundational structures of North Carolina's earliest settlements. Transported thousands of miles from their families’ homes to North Carolina's docks, the enslaved also formed systems of kinship that manufactured diverse cultural threads that connect descendant communities across North Carolina.

Enslaved Africans Landed at American Port
"Enslaved Africans Landed at American Port," Courtesy of Slavery Images

From 1759-1787 eleven voyages are documented, bringing approximately 2,000 enslaved Africans directly from the African continent to North Carolina's shores. This does not include the many lives lost onboard these vessels prior to disembarking in North Carolina’s ports. These vessels illustrate the direct relationship between the African continent and the development of the institution of slavery within North Carolina.

The information located in the table below is provided by Slave Voyages Database and Walter Minchinton's The Seaborne Slave Trade in North Carolina.

Voyages Importing Enslaved Persons in North Carolina from Africa

Tab/Accordion Items

Voyage Information

The Granville - Date of Voyage: 1760, Embarkation: St. Louis, Senegal, Disembarkation: North Carolina, unspecified

Survival and Death Figures of Enslaved Persons During Importation

The Granville - Total Embarked: 230, Total Disembarked: 197, Deaths in Transit: 33

Voyage Information

The Granville - Date of Voyage: 1761, Embarkation: St. Louis, Senegal, Disembarkation: North Carolina, unspecified

Survival and Death Figures of Enslaved Persons During Importation

The Granville - Total Embarked: 230, Total Disembarked: 197, Deaths in Transit: 33

Voyage Information

The Camden - Date of Voyage: 1786, Embarkation: Africa, unspecified, Disembarkation: Port Roanoke

Survival and Death Figures of Enslaved Persons During Importation

The Camden - Total Embarked: 80, Total Disembarked: 80, Deaths in Transit: 0

Voyage Information

The Harlequin - Date of Voyage: 1768, Location of Embarkation: Sierra Leone, Location of Disembarkation: North Carolina, unspecified

Survival and Death Figures of Enslaved Persons During Importation

The Harlequin - Total Embarked: 148, Total Disembarked: 131, Deaths in Transit: 17

Voyage Information

The Hannah - Date of Voyage: 1761, Embarkation: Windward Coast, Disembarkation: North Carolina, unspecified

Survival and Death Figures of Enslaved Persons During Importation

The Hannah - Total Embarked: 301, Total Disembarked: 258, Deaths in Transit: 43

Voyage Information

The Nancy - Date of Voyage: 1766, Embarkation: Gambia, Disembarkation: North Carolina, unspecified

Survival and Death Figures of Enslaved Persons During Importation

The Nancy - Total Embarked: 169, Total Disembarked: 150, Deaths in Transit: 19

Voyage Information

The Hope - Date of Voyage: 1774, Embarkation: Africa, unspecified, Disembarkation: New Bern

Survival and Death Figures of Enslaved Persons During Importation

The Hope - Total Embarked: Unknown, Total Disembarked: Unknown, Deaths in Transit: Unknown

Voyage Information

The Jennet - Date of Voyage: 1787, Embarkation: Africa, unspecified, Disembarkation: Port Roanoke

Survival and Death Figures of Enslaved Persons During Importation

The Jennet - Total Embarked: 81, Total Disembarked: 81, Deaths in Transit: 0

Voyage Information

The Newmarket - Date of Voyage: 1773, Embarkation: Africa, unspecified, Disembarkation: Cape Fear

Survival and Death Figures of Enslaved Persons During Importation

The Newmarket - Total Embarked: 149, Total Disembarked: 126, Deaths in Transit: 23

Voyage Information

The Squirrel - Date of Voyage: 1767, Embarkation: Africa, unspecified, Disembarkation: North Carolina, unspecified

Survival and Death Figures of Enslaved Persons During Importation

The Squirrel - Total Embarked: 250, Total Disembarked: 208, Deaths in Transit: 42

Voyage Information

The Harlequin - Date of Voyage: 1770, Embarkation: Africa, unspecified, Disembarkation: North Carolina, unspecified

Survival and Death Figures of Enslaved Persons During Importation

The Harlequin - Total Embarked: 250, Total Disembarked: 208, Deaths in Transit: 42

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, MH-245684. The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this website do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.