Slave ships ranged in size from fifty to two hundred tons. Commonly, a ship of standard proportions held anywhere between four hundred and six hundred captives. The more greedy captains were known as “tight packers,” forcing as many Africans on board with complete disregard to even the most remote concept of humanity, in an effort to reach the Americas with sufficient Africans for which they could make private transactions. The concept was rooted in the belief that the more Africans that were on board, the more Africans that would make it to the final destination, thus greater profits. They would simply pile bodies on top on one another with no respect for the human beings that they kidnapped and traded like cattle. “Loose packers” were the individuals that felt that fewer Africans per square foot meant less disease, rebellion and death among the captives. It was not out of concern for their “passengers” that loose packers based their philosophy but simply an effort to decrease the mortality rate and potential danger to crewmembers and increase the profits for the surviving Africans that fostered their practices.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 15:03:19 +0000
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