Slave ship diagram, 19th century. Owners of the ships divided their hulls into holds with little headroom, so they could transport as many slaves as p

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Slave ship diagram, 19th century. Owners of the ships divided their hulls into holds with little headroom, so they could transport as many slaves as possible and achieve the highest profits. Unhygienic conditions meant that from one in six, up to a third, of the slaves would die on such a voyage. The ships transported hundreds of slaves chained tightly to plank beds. They were held in cargo holds with little room to move. Diagram from 'Bilderbuch fur Kinder' (1805) by German publisher Friedrich Justin Bertuch (1747-1822).

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Size: 6279px × 2783px
Photo credit: © PAUL D STEWART/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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