Life Aboard a Slave Ship | History

Summary

Between 1525 and 1866, over 12 million Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic in the Middle Passage, with 2 million dying en route. European merchants built ships with extra compartments for more enslaved people, lacking basic sanitation and leading to rampant disease. Enslaved individuals faced brutal conditions, torture, and sexual abuse. The Zong case in 1783 exposed the horrors of this journey, which eventually contributed to the outlawing of the international slave trade and the abolition of slavery in Britain and the US.

Takeaways

• 🚢 From 1525 to 1866, over 12 million Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic, with approximately 2 million not surviving the journey.
• 🛳️ European merchants built specialized ships for the slave trade, equipped with extra portholes, weapons, and compartments for more enslaved people.
• 👥 Enslaved individuals were stripped of their belongings and dignity, with their heads shaved before boarding the ships.
• 🏠 During boarding, enslaved people lived in temporary wooden structures on the ship deck, with netting to prevent suicide.
• 🚫 Below deck, conditions were cramped and unsanitary, with low ceilings and no facilities, leading to rampant disease.
• 🔗 Enslaved people were segregated by gender and age, with men shackled and women often left unshackled but vulnerable to abuse.
• ⏱️ They spent about eight hours a day above deck, still separated and under the watch of a reinforced barricade.
• 🤸‍♂️ Forced exercise, including dance and song, was part of the regimen, sometimes for the crew's entertainment.
• 🔪 Punishments for disobedience were brutal, with whippings using the cat o' nine tails being a common form of torture.
• 🤰 Women, despite being less restrained, faced sexual abuse, and some arrived in the New World pregnant with their attackers' children.
• ⚖️ The Zong case of 1783 exposed the atrocities of the Middle Passage, where 130 enslaved people were thrown overboard to claim insurance.
• 📜 It took decades after the Zong trial for the slave trade to be outlawed and even longer for slavery itself to be abolished in Britain and the US.

Q & A

How many Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic from 1525 to 1866?

Approximately 12 and 1/2 million Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic during this period.

What was the survival rate of Africans during the Middle Passage?

Approximately 2 million Africans did not survive the journey, indicating a survival rate of roughly 83.3%.

What features were added to the ships to accommodate the transport of enslaved people?

Ships had extra portholes for ventilation, mounted weapons on deck, and additional compartments below deck to increase the number of enslaved people that could be transported.

What was the boarding process like for the enslaved people at African port cities?

Enslaved people were stripped of their clothing and possessions, and their heads were forcibly shaved before boarding the ships.

How were the living conditions on the ships during the Middle Passage?

The living conditions were extremely poor, with low ceilings, no sanitary facilities, and inadequate ventilation, leading to rampant disease and a hellish environment.

How were the enslaved people treated on the ship in terms of exercise and entertainment?

Enslaved people were subject to forced exercise, sometimes including dance and song, for the entertainment of the crew.

What was the purpose of the barricado on the ship?

The barricado was a reinforced wall used to separate the enslaved people by gender and to protect crew members in case of a revolt.

What was the fate of the enslaved people who were disobedient or refused to eat?

Disobedient enslaved people were tortured and beaten, often with a cat o' nine tails. Those who refused to eat were forced to do so with a speculum oris.

What role did women play in the rebellions on the slave ships?

Despite being raped and sexually abused, women often coordinated mutinies against their captors, although these rebellions were rarely successful.

What was the significance of the 1783 court trial over the slave ship Zong?

The Zong trial exposed the horrors of the Middle Passage and the inhumane treatment of enslaved people. It also highlighted the financial calculations behind the deaths of enslaved individuals.

How long did it take after the Zong trial for the international slave trade to be outlawed in Great Britain and the United States?

The international slave trade was outlawed 24 years after the Zong trial in both Great Britain and the United States.

What was the timeline for the official abolition of slavery in England and the United States after the international slave trade was outlawed?

It took England an additional 26 years and the US another 58 years plus a civil war to officially abolish the practice of slavery.