What were slave ships and what was their purpose?
Q: What were slave ships and what was their purpose?
A: Slave ships were cargo ships specially designed for taking newly captured African slaves to the Americas.
Q: How were the living conditions for slaves on slave ships?
A: The living conditions for slaves on slave ships were inhuman, with men, women, and children overcrowded into every space, leaving no room to move or breathe. There was little food, and the smell was unbearable.
Q: How many slaves were sent from Africa to the Americas on slave ships?
A: Between 1526 and 1867, about 12.5 million slaves were sent by slave ships from Africa to the Americas.
Q: How many slaves actually arrived in the Americas on slave ships?
A: Only about 10.7 million slaves actually arrived in the Americas on slave ships.
Q: Why was the slave trade the most costly migration in terms of human lives lost?
A: The slave trade was the most costly migration in terms of human lives lost because many slaves died during the voyage across the Atlantic due to inhumane living conditions.
Q: How long did it take to sail across the Atlantic on a slave ship?
A: The average time to sail across the Atlantic on a slave ship took from 60 to 90 days, but sometimes trips took up to four months.
Q: What was the impact of slave ships on African history and culture?
A: Slave ships had a devastating impact on African history and culture, as millions of Africans were forcibly enslaved, transported, and experienced the horrors of the middle passage. The trauma of the slave trade still affects Africans and their descendants today.
