Final answer:
Enslaved Africans suffered greatly as a consequence of the Atlantic slave trade, facing inhumane conditions and stripped of freedom and dignity. While they managed to retain cultural elements and resist their oppressors, the impacts were devastating to individuals and African societies alike.
Step-by-step explanation:
The consequences of the Atlantic slave trade for enslaved Africans were catastrophic and far-reaching. Option b) is the correct answer, as enslaved Africans suffered inhumane treatment, forced labor, and loss of freedom. They were subjected to brutal conditions during the Middle Passage and continued to endure incredibly harsh treatment upon arrival in the Americas. The slave trade not only depleted African societies of millions of people, but it also altered the continent's demographic, social, and economic landscapes significantly.
In African society, slavery often had different characteristics where those enslaved could still have a semblance of life within the community, sometimes even owning property. However, under the Transatlantic slave trade, captives were stripped of their humanity, treated as cargo, and faced a high mortality rate. After surviving the treacherous Middle Passage, slaves in the Americas continued to face appalling conditions - they were forced to work in rigorous and dangerous environments such as sugar plantations and were routinely subjected to physical, mental, and sexual violence.
Despite such hardships, enslaved Africans managed to preserve aspects of their culture and retain their dignity through forming new communities, creating unique cultural practices, and enacting various forms of resistance against their oppressors. Yet, the legacies of the slave trade include deep and enduring scars on societies across the Atlantic, with effects that resonate to the present day.