Final answer:
Plantation owners sent newly arrived Africans to harsh plantations to assess their ability to survive and become productive slaves in the transatlantic slave trade.
Step-by-step explanation:
Plantation owners sent newly arrived Africans to the harshest plantations as part of the seasoning process in the transatlantic slave trade.
This process aimed to determine if the enslaved individuals could survive the harsh conditions of plantation life, such as wet and marshy areas with high mosquito populations.
If an enslaved African managed to survive, it indicated that they were immune to New World diseases and could be sold for a higher price as a 'seasoned' or productive slave.
Learn more about Transatlantic slave trade