There is no greater example of man’s inhumanity to man than the slave trade that plagued our planet for centuries. A disgusting and deplorable practice fueled by greed and power, the slave trade turned men, women, and children into property, and their deaths into property insurance claims.
This billion-dollar industry profited thousands of people across oceans, continents, and islands, all at the expense of enslaved Africans who had no voice and no choice in this sick practice.
It would be the fateful voyage of the Zorg that would push the Atlantic slave trade’s deplorable practices into the spotlight and lead to the end of slavery in England, and eventually the rest of the world. In his book The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder that Inspired the Abolition of Slavery, Siddhartha Kara takes us on a dark, evil journey that will haunt you long after you’ve finished the book.
The African men, women, and children who were impacted by the inhuman and despicable actions of the whites on the Zorg need their story told and remembered for all time, and author Siddhartha Kara delivers.
The book provides plenty of historical context and insightful information about the key players in their horrific tale. We’re given the biographies of the Zorg’s main trio, a chilling history of the African slave trade and the geography of slave ships, and an overview of how countries fought for supremacy in the Atlantic slave trade.
It’s upsetting and infuriating to read how these white men viewed and treated Africans during this time period, and the justifications given by some of the men involved will definitely upset and enrage anyone with an ounce of humanity.
Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong on the Zorg, as the incompetent and understaffed white crew failed at every level. Their lack of maritime skills and planning would lead to one of the most horrific decisions possible, a decision that would ultimately lead to the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade.
While there are some glimmers of hope and victory toward the end of the book, the bulk of The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder that Inspired the Abolition of Slavery is pretty bleak, and with good reason. This isn’t an uplifting historical event by any means. It’s an era in our world’s history that should be studied, discussed, and never repeated. The millions of African lives that were enslaved or murdered as a result of the Atlantic slave trade should not be forgotten, their memory not lost to history.
History isn’t always pleasant. Often, it’s violent, bloody, and reckless, driven by greed, power, privilege, and malice. The Atlantic slave trade is a time in history where all of these negative actions intersected, and white men looked at Africans as property instead of people. It’s disgusting and deplorable, a part of history that should neither be forgotten nor forgiven.
I highly recommend The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder that Inspired the Abolition of Slavery by Siddhartha Kara. It’s a book you won’t soon forget.