This Day in History: 1781-11-29

The crew of the British slave ship Zong murdered more than 140 enslaved Africans to claim insurance when supplies ran low due to navigational error. On 29 November, 54 women and children were thrown through cabin windows into the sea. On 1 December 42 men were thrown overboard, and 36 more followed in the next few days. Another ten, in a display of defiance at the inhumanity of the slavers, chose to commit suicide by jumping into the sea. Having heard the shrieks of the victims as they were thrown into the water, one captive requested that the remaining Africans be denied all food and drink rather than thrown into the sea. The crew ignored this request. In total, 142 Africans were killed by the time the ship reached Jamaica. No one was held accountable for the murders, though the courts ruled that the owners were not entitled to an insurance payout. The highly publicised events helped spur the abolitionist movement and highlight to the public the horrors of the slave trade.