December 19th, 2011 | No Comments
Ships engaged in the Atlantic slave trade were specially outfitted to carry as much human cargo as possible from Africa to the Americas. The enslaved Africans had to reach the European colonies alive and in good condition to be sold for profit, so every precaution was taken to achieve this goal, including modifying the structure of the ship, carrying special equipment and hiring specific crew.
The slave ship also represented a journey of transformation for all on board. Slaves and crew alike changed throughout their voyage, transformed by illness, racism, and the greed of far away ship financiers.
The following pages detail the particular history of the slave ship, from The Journey to The Ship to The Transformation experienced by captain, sailor and slave on board.