The Zong in the Context of the Eighteenth-Century Slave Trade

Abstract

This contribution places the Zong tragedy in the wider context of the eighteenth-century Atlantic slave trade, a global business venture which from 1750 to 1807 was dominated by British ships. Evidence for ‘jettison’ within the British slave trade is examined, and the uniqueness of this aspect of the Zong case is emphasised. Attention is given to the role of the Zong hearings of 1783 in bringing together individuals who would go on to play a leading role in the British anti-slavery movement, established in 1787. Finally, this article examines the impact of the Zong incident upon eighteenth-century maritime insurance law relating to ‘human cargoes’, and on the passage of the ‘Dolben Act’ (the first Act to regulate British slave shipping) in 1788.