1676–1802: Relatively few enslaved Africans, approximately 10,000 individuals, reached New England ports directly from the African coast during the colonial …

1676–1802: Relatively few enslaved Africans, approximately 10,000 individuals, reached New England ports directly from the African coast during the colonial era. Most of these captives originated from regions west of modern-day Nigeria and were transported on vessels owned by merchants in Boston and Newport. Beyond these direct arrivals, a significant number of African people reached New England through intercolonial trafficking from the West Indies. In these cases, captives were often the “residuals” of larger groups sold in the Caribbean before the vessels returned to their home ports in the north.