The Brookes

An estimated 15 million Africans were transported to the Americas between 1540 and 1850. To max. their profits slave ships carried as many slaves as was physically possible. A House of Commons committee in 1788 stated that one slave-ship, The Brookes, was originally built to carry a maximum of 451 people, but was carrying more than 600 slaves from Africa to the Americas.

Slaves were chained together by their hands and feet and had little room to move. Only about half of the slaves from Africa became effective workers in the Americas. Many slaves died during the journey from diseases such as smallpox and dysentery. Others committed suicide by refusing to eat. A lot of the slaves were crippled for life as a consequence they were chained up on the ship.

By the 17th century slaves could be purchased in Africa for only $25 and sold in the Americas for more than $150. After the slave-trade became illegal, prices raised much higher. Even with a death-rate of 50 per cent, merchants could make tremendous profits from the trade.

New slaves video

Watch this video and see how new slaves were treated when they came to a slave ship.

Slave ships names

List of famous slave ships

* Adelaide, was a French slave ship that sank 1714 near Cuba.
* La Amistad, was a cargo ship that sometimes also carried slaves
* Braunfisch, was a Brandenburgian slave ship that was lost in 1688 during a revolt.
* Brookes, ship sailing in the 1780s
* Clotilde, was burned and sunk near Mobile, in autumn 1859.
* Cora, was captured by the USS Constellation 1860.
* Fredensborg, was a Danish slave ship that sank in 1768 close Tromøy in Norway, after its journey in the triangular trade. Leif Svalesen written a book about this journey.
* Henrietta Marie. Sank 1701 close to Key West, Florida.
* Hope
* Kron-Printzen, was a Danish slave ship that sank in 1706 and had 820 slaves on board.
* Le Concord. Was a slave ship that turned into pirate ship called Queen Anne's Revenge and Sank 1717.
* Lord Ligonier. Check The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley.
* Margaret Scott was confiscated and sunk - was a part of the Stone fleet in 1862
* Pons (ship) was an American built barque that was captured by the USS Yorktown 1 December 1845 with approx. 850-900 slaves on board
* Salamander, was a Brandenburgian slave ship.
* Tecora, was a Portuguese slave ship that transported slaves who later revolted aboard another slave vessel La Amistad.
* Triton was captured by the USS Constellation 1861.
* Trouvadore, was wrecked in Turks and Caicos in 1841. About 193 slaves survived. Project started in 2004 to locate this ship.
* Wanderer, was formerly last slave ship headed to the U.S. (in Nov. 1858) until Clotilde was reported.
* Wildfire, was a barque that was arrested near the Florida coast by the US Navy in 1860 while carrying 450 slaves.
* Whydah Gally,was a slave ship that turned into pirate ship and sank 1717.
* Zong, was a British famous slave ship where the massacre occurred aboard in 1781.

La Amistad slave ship

Slave ship La Amistad (Spanish meaning: "Friendship") was a two-masted schooner built in 19th century in the United States but it was owned by a Spaniard that was living in Cuba. This ship became famous as the scene of an African captives revolt. Captured slaves were being transported from Havana. They took control over La Amistad in July 1839 and they were later captured by the US Navy.

La Amistad soon became a symbol of movement against slavery. The United states took control of the vessel, which resulted in a legal battle over the African slaves status , because slave importation into the US was prohibited since 1808.

Slave ships

Slave ships used to be cargo ships converted for the only purpose and that was transporting slaves, especially those newly captured African slaves.

The slave ships routes led from the northern or middle african coasts to South America and to the south coast of what is today known as the Caribbean and also the United States of America. The captains and sailors of these boats were allowed to do anything they wished with the slaves. This included things like rape, torture or even murder because those slaves were considered as their property.

More than 20 millions of Africans were transported by these ships. This transportation from Africa to America was also called as the Middle Passage. The trade with African slaves was outlawed in the year 1807 by the United States of America and also the United Kingdom. The US law fully took effect on 1th. January 1808. After this date all US and English slave ships that were leaving Africa were considered as pirate vessels and were subject to capture by the American and British navies.

At the Council of Vienna in 1815 when Spain, France, Portugal and The Netherlands agreed to finish their slave trade. During that time, the remaining slave ships became much smaller and more cramped but were improved in performance as thez had a new role as smuggling craft or blockade runners.