‘It is always taken for granted, that they will attempt to gain their liberty’

Transatlantic slave ships were a business venture for the merchant, a place of work for the crew and an inhumane prison for those people who had been purchased as a commodity.
To ensure maximum profit, the merchants built, equipped and crewed ships for the slave trade in order to minimise the chance that those enslaved would rebel and escape.
‘It is always taken for granted, that they will attempt to gain their liberty’
John Newton, Thoughts Upon the African Slave Trade, 1788
Commissioning a slave ship
Features and design of a slave ship
August 1750 - October 1751 - Enslaving voyage of the Duke of Argyle, Captain John Newton
Conditions aboard a slave ship
'Insurrection': resistance and rebellion by the enslaved onboard, including the Amistad
This film includes and quotes directly from 18th and early 19th century historical sources and contains images and details about the attitudes and violence towards people who were enslaved and trafficked from Africa during that time.
Additional resources: The Transatlantic Slave Trade: Insurrection
PLEASE NOTE: There is no soundtrack with the film
Short biography of John Newton: Enslaver to Abolitionist cowperandnewtonmuseum.org.uk/...
The slave ship the Marie-Seraphique 3D video film - similar design and size to the The Duke of Argyle www.slavevoyages.org/voyage/s...
Education resources