They experienced the hard life like no one else through hardships and tears.. Slaves' treatment was horrific because the captured African men and women were considered less than human; they were "cargo", or "goods", and treated as such; they were transported for marketing. Slave punishment and torture was very common, as on the voyage the crew had to turn independent people into obedient slaves. Many slaves managed to buy their freedom thus making them want to tell their story, the true experience of the Middle