From the moment of capture, African men, women, and children suffered a relentless chain of pain and abuse. Life onboard the slave ships became a constant battle for survival, as the gruesome conditions below the deck presented formidable health problems. Madeleine Burnside describes the Africans’ terrifying descent into the world:
Whatever miseries they had experienced in Africa were nothing compared to the ordeal they now faced, and however ignorant they were of the exact course of the nightmare would take, they could sense the horror. Some of the captives, like Equiano, feared they would be eaten or sacrificed. Others realized that every chance of seeing their families and homelands again had vanished.
European slave trades restructured …show more content…
He experienced the dreadful circumstances of the slave holdings. Doctor Falconbridge admitted he dreaded his daily visits below the deck. He was never among the slaves for more than ten minutes, as the holdings were a gloomy place with a pungent odor. Numerous slaves died of suffocation. Equally important was the unacceptable toilet and washing facilities onboard the slave ships. Former slave, Olaudah Equiano comments: The floors of the cargo hold were filled with blood, human waste, parasites, and vomit… Slaves had to share toilets that were nothing more than tubs placed at various places in the holds that were difficult, at best, to reach. To reach the facilities, the captives, who rarely had room to sit upright, let alone and walk to the tubs, would have to crawl over each other. Those who were too ill to move were forced to lie in their own urine and excrement.
Goods practices of personal hygiene were nonexistent. The filth and excrement piled up as “it resembled a slaughterhouse,” and the ship’s crew did little to disinfect the surfaces. Sporadically, the crew would walk among the slaves, pouring buckets of water sparingly over the deck floors. (Insert: water supply/limited/captain of the ship consciously chose to stow more slaves than an abundant supply of fresh water). The overcrowded conditions amplified the problem, as infections and disease spread more …show more content…
Whippings occurred daily at the hands of the ship’s crew, who relished traumatizing the enslaved Africans. The slaves would cringe in fear, as they heard the whips crackle. Many (or Few) were not resilient enough to endure the brutality of the crew’s floggings with fortitude. The bruises, wounds, and broken bones would eventually disappear, but the emotional scars would forever remain in their memories. European slave traders also prescribed exercise as a form of therapy. Dragged to the main decks, the slaves “danced” to stay fit. Toyin Falola describes, “Dancing the slaves,”
Whatever miseries they had experienced in Africa were nothing compared to the ordeal they now faced, and however ignorant they were of the exact course of the nightmare would take, they could sense the horror. Some of the captives, like Equiano, feared they would be eaten or sacrificed. Others realized that every chance of seeing their families and homelands again had vanished.
European slave trades restructured …show more content…
He experienced the dreadful circumstances of the slave holdings. Doctor Falconbridge admitted he dreaded his daily visits below the deck. He was never among the slaves for more than ten minutes, as the holdings were a gloomy place with a pungent odor. Numerous slaves died of suffocation. Equally important was the unacceptable toilet and washing facilities onboard the slave ships. Former slave, Olaudah Equiano comments: The floors of the cargo hold were filled with blood, human waste, parasites, and vomit… Slaves had to share toilets that were nothing more than tubs placed at various places in the holds that were difficult, at best, to reach. To reach the facilities, the captives, who rarely had room to sit upright, let alone and walk to the tubs, would have to crawl over each other. Those who were too ill to move were forced to lie in their own urine and excrement.
Goods practices of personal hygiene were nonexistent. The filth and excrement piled up as “it resembled a slaughterhouse,” and the ship’s crew did little to disinfect the surfaces. Sporadically, the crew would walk among the slaves, pouring buckets of water sparingly over the deck floors. (Insert: water supply/limited/captain of the ship consciously chose to stow more slaves than an abundant supply of fresh water). The overcrowded conditions amplified the problem, as infections and disease spread more …show more content…
Whippings occurred daily at the hands of the ship’s crew, who relished traumatizing the enslaved Africans. The slaves would cringe in fear, as they heard the whips crackle. Many (or Few) were not resilient enough to endure the brutality of the crew’s floggings with fortitude. The bruises, wounds, and broken bones would eventually disappear, but the emotional scars would forever remain in their memories. European slave traders also prescribed exercise as a form of therapy. Dragged to the main decks, the slaves “danced” to stay fit. Toyin Falola describes, “Dancing the slaves,”