Exploring American Histories: Printed Page 79

Document 3.3

Plan of a Slave Ship, 1789

To increase the profitability of the slave trade, cargo ships by the mid-eighteenth century had been replaced by ships built specifically to transport African slaves. Designed to hold as many people as possible in the lower decks, these ships were scenes of horror, disease, and death for Africans during the Middle Passage. This image of the slave ship Brookes vividly portrays the business of transporting human cargo. It was widely used by British abolitionists in their campaign against slavery and the slave trade.

Explore

image

  • Question

    Would this visual representation of enslaved Africans have been more or less effective than written descriptions of the Middle Passage? Why or why not?

  • Question

    Why did the artist include the insurrection? What purpose does it serve?

  • Question

    How might this image make viewers identify and sympathize with captured Africans?

Put It in Context

Question

What does this image tell the viewer about slavery and the Middle Passage?