June
30
/ 2023
During the transatlantic slave trade, life aboard a slave ship was a nightmarish ordeal. European merchants built vessels to transport enslaved Africans, subjecting them to horrifying conditions. Enslaved individuals were stripped, shaved, and confined to the ship's deck before boarding. Below deck, they were crammed into low-ceiling compartments, enduring extreme heat, filth, and disease. Dysentery, malaria, and other illnesses plagued both captives and crew members. Gender segregation and reinforced barricades maintained control and suppressed rebellions. The crew inflicted brutal punishments, including the cruel cat o' nine tails, on disobedient captives. Women, though unshackled, suffered sexual abuse and rape. Despite their dire circumstances, women often coordinated mutinies against their captors. The infamous Zong trial exposed the horrors of the Middle Passage
