Plan of The Slave Ship Brookes (1788)

The plan of the slave ship Brookes provides insight to harsh conditions facing the enslaved. The enslaved were placed in cramped spaces and in an unsanitary atmosphere. Without modern plumbing on a ship, disease was most likely common. Images of slave ships were used by abolitionists to shift public opinion against the salve trade. The British parliament did pass the Slave Trade Act of 1788. This was not a move in the direction of abolishing the trade, rather it was regulation of it. A limitation of a number of enslaved on a ship was imposed. Based on the plan of the slave ship Brookes overcrowding was done frequently. The British Empire enriched itself from slavery and colonization. The voyage across the Atlantic Ocean was perilous for the enslaved. The Brookes ship would be in operation from 1781 to 1804. From Liverpool it would go to Africa. Then go to the Caribbean in which the enslaved would be delivered. Then the voyage would end with the return to England. The Brookes had a total of 11 voyages. The total number of deaths of the enslaved is unknown. The Slave Trade Act was trying to make transport more humane. It was impossible to make humane anything related to enslavement. Abductions and forced labor were the abuses the British Empire was willing to do for wealth.