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105
106

The plan for the British slave ship "Brookes", featuring the locations of slaves. [1028×1280] (upload.wikimedia.org)

submitted ago by SublimeSublemon

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[–]Hoops_McCann 11 points12 points ago

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Even more macabre is to compare the mortality rates on such a ship when compared to paying passengers crossing the Atlantic in the 1840s, which we did the other day in my economic history class. The slavers experienced 20- 30% mortality rates in their voyage, and to maintain profits had to keep casualties in check. Operators of passenger ships carrying migrants (predominantly Irish), on the other hand, had no incentive to keep a passenger alive after he'd payed, and consequently mortality rates on these voyages could be as high as 50%. So yes, disgusting though it is, private enterprise in the nineteenth century could actually make the slave trade look humane.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points ago

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How exactly did the traders have control over the situation? Did they refuse treatment to the passengers? No food?

[–]Hoops_McCann 2 points3 points ago*

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I would guess it was owing to disease, which the coffin ship sailors were as ill-equipped to deal with as the slavers were. Slavers would throw sick slaves overboard to prevent the spread of disease, which could be disastrous for profits. On the other hand sick passengers on coffin ships couldn't be thrown overboard, and probably wouldn't willingly sacrifice themselves for the rest of the passengers.

I could be wrong. The slave crews wanted every man alive, regardless of his wishes, and the coffin ship crews and passengers all wanted to arrive alive, which ironically made it less likely that they would. Wikipedia suggests a high incidence of illegal passenger shipping, which translates into the poorest possible conditions. Regardless of legality, a slaver had to keep everyone alive to stay in business; a coffin ship operator was disinterested, as he'd already received payment.

Edit: Quite a lot on coffin ships here at an Irish genealogy website. No sources cited, but quite detailed.

[–]RespekKnuckles 17 points18 points ago

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Incredible document. Hard to stomach that this was accepted practice at any point in our past.

[–]boethius27 6 points7 points ago

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Humans are terrible people.

[–]dzudz 3 points4 points ago

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I'm changing species, this one sucks.

[–]finalremix -2 points-1 points ago

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I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

[–]nk_sucks 2 points3 points ago

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terrible. it's worth remembering though that the west is the only culture in history that ended slavery on its own volition. or was there another?

[–]AvastYeBrigand 5 points6 points ago

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You should have googled the issue before making such a statement

[–]nk_sucks 0 points1 point ago

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huh? i was pretty much right.

[–]AvastYeBrigand 2 points3 points ago

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Pretty much really isn't close enough to say the west were the only culture to do it. Most of the west feel to pressure on the issue anyway.

[–]CunningAllusionment 4 points5 points ago

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I think that's an incredibly misleading way to look at the issue - as if western society is a monolith. The fact is that the slave holders did not abolish slavery of their own volition, but did so only under tremendous social and economic pressure from opposing sectors of society.

[–]robertolycus 0 points1 point ago

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"In the manner of galleries in a church."

[–]InconsiderateBastard -1 points0 points ago

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There are similar looking floorplans for the buildings slaves were kept in before shipping. Although those often had rooms for Girls too (the ship had Men, Women and Boys). Those rooms were often spacious, since the girls were mainly there to be raped by their captors.

[–]rawlyn -2 points-1 points ago

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BOY'S

This says a lot about the level of intellect involved in slavery.

[–]NowTheyllNeverKnow 1 point2 points ago

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Im no expert in 19th century english, but Im assuming that would have been grammatically correct at the time. Language evolves alot in 200 years.

[–]rawlyn 2 points3 points ago

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MEN: plural of "man". WOMEN: plural of "woman". BOY'S: possesive of "boy".

I doubt English has evolved that much in such a short timeframe. In fact, I don't believe it for one moment.

On the other hand, do I believe that slavers were idiots? Why yes, I believe I do.

[–]GenDan -1 points0 points ago

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Cozy.

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