Slave Routes: 33,345 Voyage Records and Captive Estimates (1650s-1860s)

33,345 records of slave voyages and captive estimates across 40 routes from the 1650s to the 1860s. Created by Patrick Manning for the African Population and Migration Dataverse, the dataset uses Bayesian statistics to impute missing data on captive flows. It includes R-language code for simulating routes and populations based on these historical estimates.

Use Cases

• Analyzing temporal trends in captive flows using the decade and voyage count variables
• Simulating historical population migrations using the provided R-language code
• Mapping the density of the Atlantic slave trade across 40 specific African-to-overseas routes

Strengths

• 33,345 documented cases of slave voyages
• Covers a 210-year historical span from 1650s to 1860s
• Categorized into 40 distinct geographic routes

Limitations

• Relies on imputed quantities for missing data which may introduce model-specific biases
• Limited to 10 variables, restricting depth of analysis on non-quantitative voyage aspects

Provenance

Source

Patrick Manning, African Population and Migration Dataverse

Collection Method

Statistical estimation and imputation using Bayesian techniques applied to historical records

Time Range

1650s - 1860s

Freshness

Last updated February 2026.

Geography

Atlantic (Africa to overseas regions)