From the mid 17th century to 1860, hundreds of thousands of Africans were kidnapped, enslaved, and transported to the New World in cargo ships. Approximately 388,000 arrived in the United States, but over 83,000 died during the Middle Passage. Enslaved families were often separated, and rape of slave women by their masters was common, with laws classifying any children born as slaves. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 and 1850 was passed to return escaped slaves, leading to the capture and enslavement of many free blacks.