Slave Auctions

Slave auctions were events where enslaved individuals were sold to the highest bidder, often used in history to facilitate the forced transfer of people, primarily of African descent, into slavery. During these auctions, enslaved persons were typically displayed, sometimes examined for health or strength, and then bid on by buyers who paid money to acquire them. The process was dehumanizing and based on economic demand, with the individuals treated as property. These auctions played a central role in the transatlantic slave trade and in sustaining systems of racialized forced labor.