In AP African American Studies 2.3 students are expected to:
- Describe the conditions of the three-part journey enslaved Africans endured during the transatlantic slave trade.
- Explain how the transatlantic slave trade destabilized West African societies.
- Describe the key features and purposes of narratives written by formerly enslaved Africans.
The Brutality of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
The Transatlantic Slave Trade was one of the most inhumane atrocities in history, forcibly uprooting 12.5 million Africans and subjecting them to a brutal, dehumanizing journey to the Americas. Enslaved individuals endured a grueling three-stage process:
- Capture and Forced Marches to Coastal Dungeons
- The Middle Passage
- The Final Passage (or The Second Middle Passage in the U.S.)
This mass forced migration devastated West African societies, fueling warfare, destabilizing entire regions, and leaving long-term scars on social and economic structures. In later years, the firsthand testimonies of enslaved people became powerful tools for exposing the horrors of slavery and driving abolitionist movements.
The Journey of Enslaved Africans
Overview: A Three-Stage Ordeal
The passage from freedom to bondage was a prolonged nightmare, typically unfolding in three brutal stages:
- Capture and Forced Marches – Enslaved Africans were seized through warfare, raids, and kidnapping, then forced to march hundreds of miles to the coast—a journey that could take months. Many perished from exhaustion, starvation, or brutal treatment.
- The Middle Passage – Packed into overcrowded, disease-ridden slave ships, captives endured a harrowing Atlantic crossing lasting up to three months. For many, this marked a permanent separation from their homeland.
- The Final Passage – Upon arrival in the Americas, survivors were quarantined, resold, and transported—often across vast distances—to plantations and labor camps, where they faced a lifetime of enslavement.
1) Capture and Coastal Dungeons
Africans were captured through raids, warfare, and betrayal by rival groups. European traders and African rulers profited from the sale of captives, who were then marched—often in chains—across vast distances to coastal slave forts. These marches were brutal, with many dying from dehydration, malnutrition, or beatings before even reaching the coast.
The conditions at coastal dungeons, such as Elmina Castle, were even more horrific. Captives were crammed into dark, unsanitary cells, often for weeks or months, awaiting transport. Disease, starvation, and abuse claimed many lives before they even set foot on a slave ship.
2) The Middle Passage
The Middle Passage brought unimaginable suffering, with an estimated 15% of captives (nearly 2 million people) perishing before reaching the Americas. Packed into the bowels of slave ships, chained together in suffocating darkness, and deprived of proper food and water, enslaved Africans endured extreme cruelty of:
- Overcrowding and Disease – The lack of sanitation led to deadly outbreaks of dysentery, smallpox, and other illnesses. The stench of human waste and decaying bodies filled the ship’s hold.
- Physical and Psychological Abuse – Captives were routinely beaten, ridiculed, tortured, and sexually assaulted by crew members.
- Despair and Resistance – Faced with such brutality, many attempted suicide, jumping overboard or refusing to eat. Revolts occasionally broke out, but armed crews almost always crushed them.
For those who survived, the Middle Passage was only the beginning of a lifetime of enslavement and suffering.
3) The Final Passage: Arrival and Sale into Slavery
Upon arrival in the Americas, captives were quarantined to prevent the spread of disease before being branded, inspected, and sold at slave markets. From there, they were transported—often by foot or boat—to plantations, mines, and forced labor camps across the continent.
- The Second Middle Passage (U.S. Domestic Slave Trade) – Even after the U.S. Congress outlawed the importation of enslaved people in 1808, the domestic slave trade continued. Enslaved individuals were forcibly relocated across the United States, especially to the Deep South, in a process that tore apart families and further entrenched slavery until the Civil War.
For many, this final leg of the journey was as agonizing as the first two. Separated from their families, stripped of their homeland, and condemned to a lifetime of forced labor, enslaved Africans endured one of history’s greatest crimes against humanity.
Destabilization of West Africa
Violence and Warfare Incentives
The Atlantic slave trade created economic incentives for West African kingdoms to engage in violence and warfare against neighboring societies. Since captives from rival ethnic groups could be sold to European traders in exchange for valuable goods like firearms, textiles, and rum, there was an increase prevalence of firearms, obtained through trade with Europeans, intensified conflicts and made warfare more deadly. This arms race destabilized the region and led to a cycle of violence as kingdoms sought to capture more slaves to trade for weapons
Coastal vs Interior States
The Coastal states that actively participated in the slave trade (like Dahomey) often grew wealthy and powerful from the influx of European goods. These states used their newfound wealth and weaponry to raid interior regions for more captives, further destabilizing the region.
Interior states faced constant threat of slave raids and warfare, leading to widespread insecurity and population displacement. Some interior states formed alliances or became tributaries to coastal powers for protection, while others were conquered and absorbed
African Leaders' involvement
Some African leaders and elites actively participated in the slave trade to maintain their power and increase their wealth by selling captives from rival ethnic groups and prisoners of war to European traders. On the other hand, some leaders resisted the slave trade and sought to protect their people from capture and enslavement like how Queen Nzinga of Ndongo (modern day Angola) fought against Portuguese slave traders and provided refuge for escaped slaves.
Long-Term Societal Impacts
The Atlantic slave trade had devastating long-term consequences for West African societies. For instance, millions of young, able-bodied people were removed from their communities, disrupting social structures and hindering economic development. The loss of skilled artisans, farmers, and future leaders weakened African societies and made them more vulnerable to colonial conquest in the 19th century. Culture and livelihoods were torn as oral traditions and cultural practices were disrupted as knowledge carriers were lost to the slave trade.
Slave Narratives
What Are Slave Narratives?
Slave Narratives are autobiographical accounts written or dictated by formerly enslaved Africans about their experiences in captivity, providing firsthand testimony of the horrors of slavery and the resilience of the human spirit. Many slave narratives follow a common structure, beginning with the author's birth and childhood in slavery, followed by their journey to freedom and reflections on the institution of slavery. Such reflections include graphic descriptions of violence, abuse, and inhumane living conditions endured by enslaved people.
Slave narratives often incorporate literary devices like vivid imagery, symbolism, and biblical allusions to convey the authors' experiences and emotions. These accounts serve as important historical documents, offering insights into the daily lives of enslaved Africans and the workings of the plantation system.
Purposes of Slave Narratives
Slave narratives played a crucial role in the abolitionist movement by exposing the brutality of slavery to a wider audience, humanizing enslaved Africans, and challenging the notion that they were content in bondage. For instance, authors like Frederick Douglass, in BOLD_PLACEHOLDER_20, and Olaudah Equiano, in his bestselling The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1789), used their stories to assert their intelligence, creativity, and moral character, dispelling racist stereotypes and advocating for the inclusion of Black people in American society.
Slave narratives also served as powerful tools for political and social change. **Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861) exposed the sexual exploitation of enslaved women and called for the abolition of slavery. Such stories inspired others to fight against oppression and work toward a more just society.
Required Sources
"On Being Brought from Africa to America" by Phillis Wheatley, 1773
Phillis Wheatley's poem stands as a groundbreaking work in African American literature, written by the first published Black poet in America. Her unique perspective as an enslaved woman who received an education challenges prevailing 18th century notions about race, intellect, and artistic capability.
The poem's exploration of Christianity, race, and salvation offers insight into the complex religious and cultural dynamics of colonial America. Wheatley's nuanced treatment of these themes demonstrates the early roots of African American literary traditions that would later flourish, influencing generations of Black writers and thinkers.
'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train.
Excerpt from Chapter 2 of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African. Written by Himself, 1789
Olaudah Equiano's autobiography provides a rare first-hand account of the transatlantic slave trade from an African perspective. His vivid descriptions of capture, the Middle Passage, and enslavement offer crucial insights into the brutal realities of the slave trade and its devastating impact on individuals and communities.
Equiano's narrative challenges prevailing racist stereotypes by showcasing his intelligence, resilience, and humanity. As one of the earliest published works by a former slave, it played a significant role in the abolitionist movement, helping to galvanize public opinion against slavery and contributing to the eventual abolition of the slave trade in Britain.
"The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocating us. This produced copious perspirations, so that the air soon became unfit for respiration, from a variety of loathsome smells, and brought on a sickness among the slaves, of which many died, thus falling victims to the improvident avarice, as I may call it, of their purchasers. This wretched situation was again aggravated by the galling of the chains, now become insupportable; and the filth of the necessary tubs [large buckets for human waste], into which the children often fell, and were almost suffocated. The shrieks of the women, and the groans of the dying, rendered the whole a scene of horror almost inconceivable."
💡Takeaways💡
- The Transatlantic Slave Trade encompassed a grueling three-stage process:
- Capture and Forced Marches to Coastal Dungeons
- The Middle Passage
- The Final Passage (or The Second Middle Passage in the U.S.)
- The Transatlantic Slave Trade destablized West Africa, causing generational depopulation, regional wars, and the enslavement of 12.5 Million Africans.
- Slave Narratives: written or dictated by formerly enslaved Africans about their experiences in captivity, providing firsthand testimony of the horrors of slavery and the resilience of the human spirit
- **Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861) exposed the sexual exploitation of enslaved women and called for the abolition of slavery.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Middle Passage and why is it important?
The Middle Passage was the second, transatlantic leg of the three-part journey enslaved Africans endured: after capture and marching to coastal dungeons, captives were packed aboard slave ships and transported across the Atlantic for up to three months. Aboard these ships they faced overcrowding, malnutrition, disease, sexual violence, and physical abuse—about 15% of captives died en route (EK 2.3.A.2). It’s important because it usually meant permanent separation from kin and communities, and it’s a central piece of evidence for questions about the human cost of the transatlantic slave trade and its effects on West Africa (LO 2.3.A & LO 2.3.B). The Middle Passage also helped drive destabilizing patterns in West Africa—increased raiding, domestic wars, firearms trade, and loss of people who would have been community leaders (EK 2.3.B.1–B.4). For more on Topic 2.3, check the AP study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2/3-capture-and-impact-of-slave-trade-on-west-african-societies/study-guide/ee2K7GYOvbiS83qL). For unit review and practice Qs see the unit page (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2) and practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).
How long did the entire slave trade journey take from capture to final destination?
Short answer: it varied, but usually from several months up to about a year or more. According to the CED, the first leg—the march from the interior to coastal holding forts and crowded dungeons—could last “several months.” The Middle Passage across the Atlantic lasted up to three months. The third or “final” passage (quarantine, resale, and domestic transport/seasoning in the Americas) could take as long as the first and Middle passages combined. So if the march took, say, a few months and the Middle Passage up to three months, the whole process commonly stretched from many months to around a year; in some cases it could approach or exceed a year and a half. For more detail on terms like Middle Passage, coastal dungeons, and the seasoning process, check the Topic 2.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2/3-capture-and-impact-of-slave-trade-on-west-african-societies/study-guide/ee2K7GYOvbiS83qL). For extra practice, try the AP question bank (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).
Why did the transatlantic slave trade make West African societies more violent?
The transatlantic slave trade made West African societies more violent by changing incentives and resources. European demand turned human capture into a profitable trade, so leaders and raiders had monetary reasons to seize people and sell them (LO 2.3.B; EK 2.3.B.1, 2.3.B.3). Firearms received in exchange increased the scale and lethality of intergroup conflicts, making raids and forced marches to the coast more frequent. Coastal dungeons and the long march inland (EK 2.3.A.1) created constant fear and instability for interior communities; losing so many people also disrupted family lines and leadership (EK 2.3.B.4). The Middle Passage’s mortality (about 15%) and the resale process amplified social breakdowns back home (EK 2.3.A.2–A.3). For a clear AP-aligned summary and practice questions on this topic, see the Topic 2.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2/3-capture-and-impact-of-slave-trade-on-west-african-societies/study-guide/ee2K7GYOvbiS83qL) and try related practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).
What's the difference between coastal and interior African states during the slave trade?
Coastal and interior African states played different roles and felt different effects during the transatlantic slave trade. Coastal states (like parts of the Asante and some coastal kingdoms) became hubs for European trade: they ran ports, held captives in crowded dungeons (Elmina, Cape Coast), negotiated sales, and often grew wealthy from selling people and goods. They also obtained firearms and other European goods that changed local power. Interior states, by contrast, faced frequent raids and kidnappings: people were captured, marched to the coast, and many communities lived under constant threat. That pressure increased domestic wars, incentivized violence to seize captives, and led to long-term social disruption—loss of leaders, broken families, and cultural destabilization (see LO 2.3.B and EK 2.3.B.1–B.4). For more on capture, the Middle Passage, and coastal dungeons, check the Topic 2.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2/3-capture-and-impact-of-slave-trade-on-west-african-societies/study-guide/ee2K7GYOvbiS83qL). For practice questions, try Fiveable’s practice bank (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).
Can someone explain the three parts of the enslaved Africans' journey in simple terms?
Think of the journey in three clear parts: 1) March to the coast—Captives were seized in the interior, marched for weeks or months to coastal forts (like Elmina or Cape Coast) and held in crowded, filthy dungeons before shipboarding. (LO 2.3.A; EK 2.3.A.1) 2) The Middle Passage—The Atlantic crossing lasted up to about three months. People were packed into slave ships, separated permanently from family, and suffered abuse, disease, and malnutrition; roughly 15% died en route. (EK 2.3.A.2; keyword: Middle Passage, slave ships) 3) Final passage—On arrival in the Americas captives were quarantined, resold, and moved inland through domestic transport and auctions; this “final” leg could take as long as the first two combined. (EK 2.3.A.3; keywords: seasoning process, captives resale) For quick review, see the Topic 2.3 study guide (Fiveable) for examples and sample exam-style practice (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2/3-capture-and-impact-of-slave-trade-on-west-african-societies/study-guide/ee2K7GYOvbiS83qL). For extra practice, try problems at (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).
How did European firearms change warfare between African kingdoms?
European firearms shifted how West African kingdoms waged and profited from war. Access to guns (via the firearms trade) made raids and slave-taking more deadly and efficient, so leaders used violence more often to capture people for sale—intensifying domestic slave wars (CED EK 2.3.B.1). Kingdoms that controlled coastal trade—like Asante and Dahomey—grew stronger because they could get guns and expand influence; interior societies became more vulnerable to armed raids and long-term instability (EK 2.3.B.2, 2.3.B.4). Firearms also changed military organization: rulers recruited and trained standing forces, prioritized trade relationships with Europeans, and grew economically dependent on slaving profits. On the AP exam, this shows up in short-answer/DBQ prompts about causes and effects of the transatlantic slave trade—use these CED points and examples in your evidence. For a quick review, check the Topic 2.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2/3-capture-and-impact-of-slave-trade-on-west-african-societies/study-guide/ee2K7GYOvbiS83qL) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).
What are slave narratives and why did formerly enslaved people write them?
Slave narratives are first-person accounts—often books, essays, or poems—written by people who had been enslaved. They describe capture, the march to the coast, the Middle Passage, seasoning, and the final sale and life in the Americas (CED LO 2.3.A). Narratives like Equiano’s or Wheatley’s mix historical detail, literary craft, and moral argument. Formerly enslaved people wrote them for several clear reasons: to document the brutality of slavery as eyewitness history, to prove Black humanity and intellect, and to persuade readers and lawmakers to end slavery and the slave trade (CED LO 2.3.C; EK 2.3.C.1–2). Many narratives were also political tools for the abolitionist movement—supporting legal and public campaigns—and served as literary works that shaped early American writing. For more on Topic 2.3, see the Fiveable study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2/3-capture-and-impact-of-slave-trade-on-west-african-societies/study-guide/ee2K7GYOvbiS83qL). For broader Unit 2 review and practice, check the unit page and practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2) (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).
I'm confused about how African leaders participated in the slave trade - can someone explain?
Many African leaders participated by capturing and selling people to Europeans for profit, guns, and trade goods—but it wasn’t simple or universal. Coastal states (e.g., Asante, Dahomey) and some local rulers used warfare, raids, or judicial punishments to supply captives; others sold war prisoners or rival-group members to keep power and earn wealth. The transatlantic market increased monetary incentives for violence, fueled domestic wars (because firearms circulated), and made the coast richer while interior regions grew less stable (CED LO 2.3.B; EKs 2.3.B.1–2.3.B.4). Important to note: many African actors resisted or were coerced into these systems; motives ranged from diplomacy and economics to survival. For exam prep, connect this to the march-to-coast, coastal dungeons, and destabilizing effects on leadership and kin networks (LO 2.3.A and 2.3.B). Read the Topic 2.3 study guide for more details (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2/3-capture-and-impact-of-slave-trade-on-west-african-societies/study-guide/ee2K7GYOvbiS83qL) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).
What were the long-term effects of the slave trade on African societies?
Long-term effects were deep and multi-layered. Demographically, the export of millions (about 15% died on the Middle Passage) removed large numbers of young people and potential leaders, creating long-term population loss and disrupting family and kinship systems (EK 2.3.B.4). Politically and militarily, the slave trade increased incentives for violent raids and domestic wars—especially where firearms from European trade fueled conflict—weakening interior states and empowering some coastal rulers who grew wealthy by trading captives (EK 2.3.B.1–3). Economically it redirected focus toward capturing people for sale, distorted local economies, and increased inequality between coastal trade hubs (like Asante or Dahomey) and insecure interior regions (EK 2.3.B.2). Culturally, forced removals fractured transmission of traditions and social structures. These points show up often on SAQs/DBQs about causation, continuity/change, and consequences—so practice explaining links between cause and effect (see the Topic 2.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2/3-capture-and-impact-of-slave-trade-on-west-african-societies/study-guide/ee2K7GYOvbiS83qL) and hit the practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies)).
How do I write a DBQ essay about the impact of the slave trade on West Africa?
Start by reading the prompt carefully, then craft a one-sentence thesis that answers it and sets up a line of reasoning (DBQ rubric: thesis, context, evidence, sourcing, reasoning). For Topic 2.3 focus on: the three-part journey (march to coast, Middle Passage, final passage) and how the transatlantic trade destabilized West African societies (firearms-for-slaves feedback, coastal wealth vs. interior instability, loss of leaders/kin). Use your documents to support specific claims—cite at least three docs and summarize their content rather than just quoting. Bring in one piece of outside evidence (e.g., Asante or Dahomey involvement, Elmina/Cape Coast castles, ~15% mortality on Middle Passage from EK 2.3.A.2). Explain perspective/purpose for two sources (who wrote it and why) and use causation/comparison in your reasoning. For step-by-step help and sources tied to the CED, check the Topic 2.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2/3-capture-and-impact-of-slave-trade-on-west-african-societies/study-guide/ee2K7GYOvbiS83qL). For extra practice, use the unit overview (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2) and 1000+ practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).
Who was Olaudah Equiano and why is his narrative important?
Olaudah Equiano was a formerly enslaved African who published The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano in 1789. His memoir is a firsthand slave narrative that describes capture in Africa, the march to the coast, the horrific Middle Passage aboard slave ships, and the experience of being sold and “seasoned” in the Americas. Equiano’s account is important because it’s a primary source that documents individual humanity, the violence and separation caused by the transatlantic slave trade, and the ways enslavement destabilized West African societies (EK 2.3.A.1–3, 2.3.B.1–4). As a political and literary text, it was used to argue against the slave trade and to demonstrate Black intellect and moral worth—exactly the functions AP asks you to recognize for slave narratives (LO 2.3.C, EK 2.3.C.1–2). For a focused review, see the Topic 2.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2/3-capture-and-impact-of-slave-trade-on-west-african-societies/study-guide/ee2K7GYOvbiS83qL) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).
What happened to enslaved Africans when they first arrived in the Americas?
When enslaved Africans first arrived in the Americas they went through the third, or “final,” passage: quarantined at ports, inspected and resold, then moved by ship, cart, or foot to plantations, mines, or households often far from where they’d been taken. Many went through a “seasoning” process—forced labor, new names, and harsh conditions meant to break ties to their former communities and make them easier to control. Conditions in holding forts (coastal dungeons) and on ships (the Middle Passage) already left people weak from disease and malnutrition; around 15% died during the Middle Passage alone. Arrival meant permanent separation from kin, loss of social roles and traditions, and entry into legal and social systems that defined them as enslaved. For more detail tied to the AP CED, see the Topic 2.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2/3-capture-and-impact-of-slave-trade-on-west-african-societies/study-guide/ee2K7GYOvbiS83qL). Practice questions are at (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).
Why did about 15 percent of enslaved Africans die during the Middle Passage?
About 15% of captives died on the Middle Passage because conditions on the ships were brutal and unhealthy. Voyages lasted up to three months, and people were packed into crowded, unsanitary holds where they couldn’t move, breathe fresh air, or get enough food and clean water (CED EK 2.3.A.2). Disease spread quickly (smallpox, dysentery, scurvy), malnourishment weakened immune systems, and many were beaten, tortured, or raped—physical abuse made survival harder. Some also died from suicide or resistance attempts. These losses mattered: the Middle Passage permanently separated survivors from communities and exacerbated the social disruption in West Africa (EK 2.3.A.2; EK 2.3.B.4). For the AP exam, remember LO 2.3.A’s focus on the three-part journey and how the Middle Passage caused huge human and social impact. See the Topic 2.3 study guide for review (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2/3-capture-and-impact-of-slave-trade-on-west-african-societies/study-guide/ee2K7GYOvbiS83qL). For extra practice, try Fiveable’s unit resources and practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).
How did the slave trade destabilize African communities and families?
The transatlantic slave trade tore apart West African communities in several linked ways. Raids and wars increased because European demand raised monetary incentives for capturing people and supplied firearms, which exacerbated domestic conflicts (CED EK 2.3.B.1, 2.3.B.3). Large numbers of people—often young adults and potential leaders—were removed, producing long-term demographic loss that weakened families, labor systems, and cultural transmission (EK 2.3.B.4). Captives marched to coastal dungeons, endured the Middle Passage (about three months for many; ~15% died), and were permanently separated from kin, making reunification nearly impossible (EK 2.3.A.1–A.3). Some coastal states grew wealthy from human trade while interior regions faced constant threat of capture, increasing political instability and social fragmentation (EK 2.3.B.2). For quick review, see the Topic 2.3 study guide on Fiveable (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2/3-capture-and-impact-of-slave-trade-on-west-african-societies/study-guide/ee2K7GYOvbiS83qL).
What was the purpose of Phillis Wheatley's poetry and other slave narratives?
Phillis Wheatley’s poems and other slave narratives had three main purposes: to record firsthand experiences (historical testimony), to create powerful literature that showed skill and intellect, and to serve as political arguments against slavery. Wheatley’s 1773 poems—like “On Being Brought from Africa to America”—and narratives such as Equiano’s were used to demonstrate Black humanity and moral capacity, persuade readers to end the slave trade and chattel slavery, and argue for inclusion of people of African descent in society (CED EK 2.3.C.1–2). On the AP exam, these texts function as required sources you should be able to analyze as historical, literary, and political documents (useful for SAQs or the DBQ). For a focused review, check the Topic 2.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-african-american-studies/unit-2/3-capture-and-impact-of-slave-trade-on-west-african-societies/study-guide/ee2K7GYOvbiS83qL) and try practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-african-american-studies).