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Slave ships were
cargo boats specially converted for the purpose of transporting slaves,
especially newly captured African slaves. The most important routes of the
slave ships led from the northern and middle coasts of Africa to South
America and the south coast of what is today the Caribbean and the United
States of America. Over 30,000 voyages were made from America to Africa to
capture slaves. The transportation of slaves from Africa to America was
known as the Middle Passage.
In order to transport as many slaves as possible, the owners of the ships divided the hull into between decks. You can only imagine what these unhygienic conditions looked like - only the most resilient survived the transport because of these poor traveling conditions. Often the ships transported hundreds of slaves, who were chained tightly to plank beds. The slave ship "Henrietta Marie" carried up to 400 slaves on a single passage, who were confined to two decks, each slave spent the week long passage chained to the bow of the ship. Many kidnapped and captured Africans first arrived in America at a Southeastern US port such as CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. Those "lucky" surviver's were then sold, like cattle, right off of the slave ships. In these port cities, local newspapers like the Charleston Courier carried ads for the sale of newly arrived slaves and many of these ads featured not only the name of the slave ship but the area of Africa from which the slaves were taken (Mandingo, Congo, Gambia, etc). In 1807, the United States
House and Senate approved An Act to Prohibit the Importation of Slaves
into any Port or Place Within the Jurisdiction of the United States after
the first day of January, 1808. This act essentially ended the importation
and sale of slaves right off the slave ships in late 1807, so no SLAVE
SHIP ads were printed in the US after Jan 1, 1808. The only cities where
Slave Ship Ads were printed would have been in Southeast US cities such as
Charleston, SC and Annapolis, MD. This newspaper with its "SLAVE
SHIP AD" is a stark reminder of the terrible toll in human lives that the
SLAVE TRADE exacted in the US. Ranaway on the 27th ult. The subscriber's servant, William about 25
years of age, 5 feet 8 inches high, marked with the small pox. He carried
with him two cloth coatees, one blue and the other brown; a pair of black
velvet, and a pair of mixed cassimere pantaloons. When he is spoken to he
has a down look. He is well known, being much employed about the city in
playing the tamboureen. A reward of Fifty Dollars will be paid on proof
to conviction of his being harboured by a white person; and Ten Dollars,
on his being secured in the Work-House. Archibald Pagan, 131 King-street One Hundred Dollars Reward Absented himself from the subscriber, a
carpenter fellow named Polydore. He is rather short, but stout made, very
black complexion, with a redness in both eyes; speaks slow - very
plausible - and may be imposing on some person by hiring himself as with
my consent. He is well known about Beach Hill and Bob Savannah, and has
been seen in St. Andrew's Parish. The above Reward will be paid to any person,
black or white, who will lodge aid Fellow in Colleton goal. If he returns
to his duty he will be pardoned. D. Campbell Misc. Notices on runaway slaves - contributed by Shauna L Williams
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