How did Slaves Survive on Ships?

How did Slaves Survive on Ships?

Those ships, were all about maximizing cargo, and unfortunately, human beings were seen as just that—cargo.



let’s talk about food and water.
Provisions on these ships were basic at best.

Slaves were often given meager rations of hardtack (a kind of tough biscuit) and gruel, with water being rationed to barely enough to survive.

The quality of these rations was often poor, leading to malnutrition and disease.
Think of it this way, if the sailors were eating poorly, the slaves were eating the worst of the worst.

Sanitation was almost non-existent. With so many people packed into tight spaces, disease spread rapidly.

Conditions were filthy, and with little to no access to fresh air and sunlight, respiratory illnesses were common.

One of the deadliest threats was dysentery, which spread through the cramped, unsanitary quarters like wildfire.

The survival of slaves on these ships often came down to their ability to withstand these harsh conditions.

But here's a story that might surprise you:
One of the most famous slave ship uprisings was the revolt on the Spanish ship La Amistad in 1839.

The captives, led by Sengbe Pieh (known as Joseph Cinqué), managed to overthrow their captors and steer the ship, although their aim to return to Africa led them instead to the United States, where their legal battle for freedom became a landmark case. Ctto

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