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 suffocated us. . . . We were conducted immediately to the merchant’s yard, where we were all pent up together like so many sheep in a fold [pen], without regard to sex or age.

–The Life of Olaudah Equiano,
Olaudah Equiano

At the close of that year I was sold to a Thomas Stanton, and had to be separated from my wife and one daughter, who was about one month old. He resided at Stonington-point. To this place I brought with me from my late master's, two johannes, three old Spanish dollars, and two thousand of coppers, besides five pounds of my wife's money. This money I got by cleaning gentlemen's shoes and drawing boots, by catching musk-rats and minks, raising potatoes and carrots, etc., and by fishing in the night, and at odd spells.

–A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, A Native of Africa,
Venture Smith

Olaudah Equiano and Venture Smith were brought to North America because they

had no desire to marry or to have children and thus were considered ideal plantation workers.
were wanted for work on plantations, and enslaving them was cheaper than making them indentured.
could be given arms to help plantation owners keep their indentured servants from revolting.
could be put to work after their short and relatively easy journey across the Atlantic.