Mortality on the Middle Passage

Perils

Danger

What are the dangers at sea?

• Hurricanes 

• Storms

• Run aground

• Becalmed

• Food and water running out.

Run aground

When a ship touches the ground in a shallow part of a river, lake, or the sea, and gets stuck.

Becalmed

lack of wind

E.g. of ‘Perils of the Sea’

________________ was ________ in _____, and all ___ slaves on board were drowned.

The Danish slaver Kronprinsen was lost in a storm in 1706, and all 820 slaves on board were drowned.

E.g. of ‘Perils of the Sea’

___ ______ a ship belonging to the South Sea Company lost ___ per cent of the ___slaves she was carrying due to ___________' and _________ .

The George, a ship belonging to the South Sea Company lost 84 per cent of the 594 slaves [498.96/499] she was carrying due to 'length of voyage' and 'badness of weather.'

Insurance

A means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury.

Fraud

Wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.

E.g. of ‘Insurance Fraud‘

The __________ in ____. With ________________, some ___ starving slaves were thrown overboard in order to ensure they did not die on board.

The Liverpool ship Zong in 1781. With food and water running out, some 133 starving slaves were thrown overboard in order to ensure they did not die on board.

Brawl

loud, rowdy, fight

Slaves fought:

• crew who were armed with gun

• each other for crew’s entertainment

• energy tribesmen who they were chained together

Violence on the middle passage:

• Slaves were beaten or whipped as punishment for disobeying 

• Female Slave went though sexual violence at the hands of crew.

Revolt

People working together using violence to achieve a common cause. 

Ways Slaves Resist:

• Suicide

• Murder driving sex assault due to female Slaves resistance

• Refuse to entertain crew could lend to execution

Disease

An abnormal bodily condition of a living thing that interferes with function.

Condition in the ship that caused sickness:

• ‘Tight packing’ slaves were crowded together, which allowed disease to spread

• Unsanitary conditions, including: sat in faces & other bodily fluids.

• Poor ventilation, aka lack of air flow/circulation

• Poor diet - malnutrition, scurvy, etc

• Lack of movement caused atrophy & poor circulation

Disease on the middles passage:

• Smallpox

• Dysentery

• Malaria

• Yellow fever

• Influenza

• Typhus

Symptoms of Smallpox

• Widespread skin rash – flat spots that change into raised bumps then firm fluid-filled blisters which then scab

• High fever

• Severe headache.

• Abdominal pain.

• Vomiting.