Why did disease spread so rapidly on slave ships quizlet?

One reason why disease spread so rapidly on slave ships was because physicians of the era had primitive medical knowledge and struggled in treating onboard diseases with European remedies.

How many slaves died on the voyage?

The total number of deaths directly attributable to the Middle Passage voyage is estimated at up to two million; a broader look at African deaths directly attributable to the institution of slavery from 1500 to 1900 suggests up to four million deaths.

What was the average life expectancy of Brazilian plantation slaves in the 18th century?

What was the average life expectancy of Brazilian plantation slaves in the 18th Century? Most Brazilian plantation slaves only lived 23 years of age.

What did slaves in the South eat?

Weekly food rations — usually corn meal, lard, some meat, molasses, peas, greens, and flour — were distributed every Saturday. Vegetable patches or gardens, if permitted by the owner, supplied fresh produce to add to the rations. Morning meals were prepared and consumed at daybreak in the slaves’ cabins.

How many hours a week did slaves work?

On a typical plantation, slaves worked ten or more hours a day, “from day clean to first dark,” six days a week, with only the Sabbath off. At planting or harvesting time, planters required slaves to stay in the fields 15 or 16 hours a day.

At what age did slaves start working?

Between the ages of seven and twelve, boys and girls were put to work in intensive field work. Older or physically handicapped slaves were put to work in cloth houses, spinning cotton, weaving cloth, and making clothes.

How many hours of sleep did slaves get?

Sixteen to eighteen hours of work was the norm on most West Indian plantations, and during the season of sugarcane harvest, most slaves only got four hours of sleep.