Prompt: On the basis of Equiano's account, what measures did the crews of slave ships take to ensure maximum profits from their business of transporting human cargoes?
Answer: According to Olaudah Equiano's account, to ensure the greatest potential profits from their business of transporting human cargoes, the crews of slave trade ships took many precautionary measures. To ensure that they would receive the maximum reward for their slaves, crews of the slave ships needed to make sure that the slaves were in prime condition. Thus, they forced the slaves on their ships to eat, whether the wanted to or not. Those who resisted the food were severely flogged as a result. To prevent potential slaves (or sources of money) from jumping overboard into the ocean, crews of slave ships whipped those for hours who attempted to jump off the boat, thus dissuading others from following the examples of others. When several slaves perished by jumping into the waters, the crews began to lock up the slaves under the deck and chained. These were the primary measures taken to ensure that the crews of slave ships obtained the maximum profits from their business of transporting human cargoes.
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