The Slave Ship: A Human History

A brig was a type of two-masted sailing vessel commonly used for transporting goods, including enslaved Africans, across the Atlantic Ocean. These ships were favored for their speed and maneuverability, enabling slavers to evade naval patrols enforcing anti-slavery laws. The brig’s compact design often led to overcrowded and inhumane conditions for the captives confined in its hold during the Middle Passage.

A “Guinea man” referred to the rank-and-file crew members who worked aboard slave ships, performing manual labor such as handling cargo, maintaining the vessel, and overseeing the captives. These sailors often endured harsh conditions, including low wages, poor provisions, and exposure to disease, while operating within the brutal system of the slave trade. Despite their lower status, common sailors were complicit in enforcing the inhumane practices of the Middle Passage, transporting enslaved Africans from the West African coast, often referred to as the Guinea Coast, to the Americas.

A Guinea ship was a ship specifically outfitted for transporting enslaved Africans from the West African coast, often referred to as the Guinea Coast, to the Americas. These vessels were designed to maximize the number of captives they could carry, with modifications such as fortified decks and barricadoes to suppress resistance. The term also symbolized the brutal commercial enterprise of the transatlantic slave trade, as these ships were integral to the forced movement of millions of African people.

The Middle Passage refers to the harrowing sea voyage that transported enslaved Africans from the West African coast to the Americas. The Middle Passage was the transatlantic stage of a triangular route across the Atlantic Ocean. European merchants transported manufactured goods to Africa and exchanged them for enslaved Africans, who were then shipped to the Americas via the Middle Passage. The merchants then returned to Europe with cash crops like sugar, tobacco, and cotton. This system was central to the economic foundation of the transatlantic slave trade, facilitating the exploitation of African labor and the enrichment of European economies.

A schooner was a small, fast, and maneuverable sailing vessel often used for coastal trading, smuggling, and occasionally for transporting enslaved Africans. Due to their speed and agility, schooners were favored by slavers seeking to evade naval patrols enforcing anti-slavery laws. While typically smaller than other slave ships, schooners still played a role in the inhumane trade, often carrying captives on short voyages or as part of illegal operations after the trade was officially outlawed. Schooners were typically smaller than brigs, with a different arrangement of sails and with a lesser capacity for carrying enslaved people.

A scramble was a chaotic method of selling enslaved Africans, typically conducted upon the arrival of a slave ship in the Americas. Buyers would rush into an enclosure or onto the ship, selecting captives as quickly as possible, often with little regard for individual humanity. This practice, driven by competition and greed, epitomized the dehumanizing commodification of enslaved people during the slave trade.

In The Slave Ship, a “ship” refers to a large, ocean-going vessel equipped with three or more masts and fully square-rigged sails on all masts. These ships were often chosen for their capacity to carry large numbers of enslaved Africans, along with provisions and trade goods, making them suitable for long transatlantic voyages. The size and durability of such vessels allowed them to endure harsh ocean conditions while maximizing profit through the transport of substantial human cargo under inhumane conditions.

A sloop was a small, single-masted sailing vessel, typically fore-and-aft rigged, used for short coastal or inter-island voyages. Due to their limited size and capacity, sloops were not commonly used for the bulk transport of enslaved Africans but often played a role in smuggling or transferring captives between larger ships and ports. Their speed and maneuverability made them ideal for evading patrols and navigating shallow waters during illegal or localized operations.