Overview
The lecture details the brutal realities of the transatlantic slave trade, focusing on the Middle Passage and its devastating human toll.
The Transatlantic Slave Trade
- Between 1525–1866, 12.5 million Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic; about 2 million died en route.
- European merchants built specialized ships to maximize the number of enslaved people per journey.
Conditions Aboard Slave Ships
- Ships featured extra ventilation, weapons, and additional below-deck compartments for human cargo.
- Enslaved people were stripped, shaved, and kept on deck or in temporary wooden structures before departure.
- Nets were installed around decks to prevent escape or suicide attempts.
- Below deck, compartments had ceilings as low as 4.5 feet and were overcrowded.
- People were segregated by gender and age; men shackled, women and children often unchained.
- There were no sanitary facilities, leading to unsanitary, disease-ridden conditions.
- Common diseases included dysentery, malaria, yellow fever, smallpox, measles, and influenza.
Treatment and Discipline
- Enslaved people spent about eight hours daily above deck but remained segregated.
- Forced exercise and dance were imposed for crew entertainment.
- Disobedience was punished with torture and whipping, often with a cat-o'-nine-tails.
- Food refusal led to forced feeding with devices like the speculum oris.
- Women were frequently sexually abused by crew members.
Resistance and Rebellion
- Women used relative freedom to coordinate mutinies, though most revolts failed.
- The crew used barriers and weapons to prevent successful uprisings.
The Zong Case and Legal Aftermath
- In 1781, the ship Zong's captain ordered 130 enslaved people thrown overboard to claim insurance.
- The court ruled in the ship owners' favor, equating enslaved people to livestock.
- The case drew attention to the horrors of the Middle Passage and was publicized by abolitionists.
- The international slave trade was outlawed in Great Britain (1807) and the U.S. (1808), but slavery persisted for decades after.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Middle Passage — the transatlantic journey enslaved Africans endured from Africa to the Americas.
- Cat-o'-nine-tails — a multi-tailed whip used for severe punishment.
- Speculum oris — a tool to forcibly open the mouth for feeding.
- Barre kata — reinforced wall on ships to separate enslaved people from crew during potential revolts.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the Zong case and its role in abolitionist movements.
- Prepare for a discussion on the impact of the Middle Passage on abolition and historical memory.