Slave ship conditions

Slave ship conditions during the transatlantic slave trade were horrific and marked by extreme overcrowding, disease, and malnutrition. Enslaved people were often shackled together in cramped quarters, with little space to move, forcing them to lie in their own waste. Ventilation was poor, leading to the rapid spread of illness. Many suffered from dehydration and starvation on long voyages that lasted weeks or months. Violence and abuse from crew members were commonplace. These inhumane conditions resulted in high mortality rates, with many not surviving the journey to their new lives as enslaved laborers in the Americas.