Latest / The Atlantic Slave Trade: Empire Built on Human Suffering — Fexingo History
The Zong Massacre: Law, Slavery, and Insurance Fraud
In 1781, the crew of the slave ship Zong murdered more than forty enslaved Africans by throwing them overboard into the Atlantic. This episode explores the legal aftermath that sent shockwaves through Britain. When the owners sued their insurers for lost cargo, the case reached Lord Mansfield, the Chief Justice of the King's Bench. The trial hinged on whether the murders were justified as 'jettison' to save the ship from starvation or if they constituted murder. We examine the arguments made by Granville Sharp, who fought to prosecute the captain, and how the court’s narrow…
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