Slave Ship

Slave Trade Ship

 

                The story being told is about a wealthy and successful slave merchant who knew the trade well and supported it. Merchant Robert Norris was a frequent writer about the slave trade. He wrote A Short Account of the African Slave Trade in 1788 and wrote other works too. Norris supported the slave trade and believed that Africans were too dumb to live regularly within society and though they fit to forced labor. Norris testified that slave trade was humane to slaves and had them kept in ventilated and clean quarters that also had games and activities for them. His testimony was completely false though, proven by various deaths caused form mistreatment and revolts. Norris was an accepted trader for London and was extremely powerful and connected in England and the Slave trade. Norris lastly was renowned in the trade as very knowledgeable and gave advice to others on what slaves were good to sell and how to treat them.

                The evidence for turmoil and resistance in Norris’ ships were brought to light when John Dragge reported many sickly slaves and deaths of varying diseases. A record from Norris was also found. This record talked about the constant revolts on the ship and the way the crew and Norris dealt with the situation. Norris killed many of the slaves revolting or punished them with lashings.

 

                I learned that the slave trade was a huge business and was accepted by everyone as a main part of the world economy. I did not realize how much merchants like Norris would lie and cover up what they were doing to the slaves. It was interesting how connected Norris was and how dependent London and all of England was on him trading slaves and making profit. Finally I never knew there were so many countries involved with the trade.