Patten is my generationally inherited slave owner's surname
Marred with the echoes of shackles and lost culture in the context of slavery, abolition, and historical significance.
My dedication to this truth-seeking mission is driven by a profound need to understand a critical and often misrepresented period of history and its enduring consequences.
For me, this exploration is deeply personal. Bearing the surname Patten, a name intertwined with the history of Jamaican plantations and, by extension, the brutal legacy of slavery, I stand at a unique crossroads.
Born to a Jamaican biological father and a White American mother, my life has been marked by a profound absence of direct cultural education regarding my Jamaican heritage.
This lack of connection has fueled a burning desire to uncover the truth – the "warts and all" reality of the slave trade, the enduring impacts of colonialist Britain, and the generational echoes that continue to resonate.
This page is my commitment to that truth, an unflinching look at a history that demands to be understood, free from euphemisms and political expediency.
Below, you will find initial insights into the scale and impact of the transatlantic slave trade.
This information will be continuously updated and expanded with meticulously researched data.
Origins of
Enslaved Africans
30% of Africa
16 / 54 African Countries
Enslaved Africans were captured and exploited from a wide range of nations and regions. Some of the primary areas include (modern-day country names are in brackets):
West Africa:
- Senegambia (Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau)
- Sierra Leone
- Windward Coast (Liberia, Ivory Coast)
- Gold Coast (Ghana)
- Bight of Benin (Togo, Benin, western Nigeria)
- Bight of Biafra (eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea)
Central Africa:
- Kongo Kingdom (Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo)
Southeast Africa:
- Mozambique
- Madagascar (though in smaller numbers compared to West and Central Africa)
European traders often relied on African traders and intermediaries to capture and transport individuals from the interior to the coast, there wouldn't have been a need if the exploitation of guns and ammunition in exchange for dehumanisation hadn't been created as a market for the colonialists.
Scale of the
Slave Trade
12,500,000
Souls
Total Enslaved Africans Transported: Approximately 12.5 million individuals were forcibly transported from Africa to the Americas between the 16th and 19th centuries.
Survival Rate of the Middle Passage: It's estimated that around 1.8 million (roughly 14.4%) did not survive the brutal journey across the Atlantic.
Major Destinations:
- Caribbean: The vast majority, over 40%, were taken to the various islands of the Caribbean.
- Brazil: Around 35-40% were transported to Brazil.
- Spanish South America: Approximately 10-15% went to Spanish colonies in South America.
- British North America (including the future USA): Only about 5-6% were brought directly to this region.
Slave Trader
Compensation
£17,000,000,000
Equivalence in 2021
Amount Paid:
The British government paid approximately £20 million in compensation to slave owners following the abolition of slavery in 1833. This was a massive sum at the time, representing around 40% of the government's annual expenditure.
Today, the UK Government spends 44.4% of GDP on total expenditure covering Social Protection, Health, Education, Debt Interest, Defence, and Transport; equivalent to approximately £45,000 per household (correct May 2025).
The population in 1833AD was 24Million. This compensation was paid to around 46,000 individual slave owners for the loss of their "property." Notably, the formerly enslaved people received no compensation for their years of forced labor and suffering. The debt incurred by the British government to finance this compensation was only fully paid off by taxpayers in 2015.