Thread by @drjohnaeharris

What was Walt Whitman doing on a slave ship in 1856? /Thread

Whitman had recently published the first edition of Leaves of Grass. Reviews were mixed. He was struggling financially. He returned to journalism in New York. /2

Whitman accepted a commission from Life Illustrated to report on a ship named the Braman. This vessel had been about to sail to Africa before U.S. authorities, suspecting it was a slave ship, impounded it at the Navy Yard in Brooklyn (the slave trade was illegal since 1808) /3

At the Yard, amid hulking old ships and giant machinery, Whitman found "the slaver." He jumped aboard. After poking around the forecastle and cabin, he ventured below, into the hold. /4

Whitman imagined a scene from the Middle Passage for his readers: the anguish, the pain, the heat, the confusion. "Perhaps in desperation [the captives] attempt to rise upon the crew" he suggested; but he knew "musket volleys fired down the hatchway" would end an uprising /5

Whitman also knew who was directly responsible for this suffering: "Portuguese parties, who come hither as to a commodious depôt, with cash ready for the investment." This was the Portuguese Company of #NYC, a group of slave traders, including Maia Ferreira, a native of Angola /6

He further knew that others were involved, like "wholesale importers or ship-chandlers" & corrupt officials like I. Rynders (image)

"He must be a wretched manager if he can not evade laws...between perjured witnesses, avaricious cunning and crotchety judges" Whitman concluded /7

The Braman was one of the few slavers to be captured by NYC authorities. It was condemned, but no one was prosecuted. The vessel was auctioned off. Slave traders usually bought ships right back again using straw buyers. /8

Most slavers sailed right out of New York.

Whitman said "It is safe to say that two or three slavers per month have fitted out and sailed from New York for at least the last ten years."

Not quite right, but not far off /9

Around 400 vessels with U.S. connections would sail to Africa in the 1850s and 1860s

They brought 150,000 captives to the Americas, mostly Cuba. Around 30,000 died during the Middle Passage /10

There's much more to say, but I will stop myself! For more on what Whitman was reporting, perhaps check this out?

bookshop.org/books/the-last…

#slaveryarchive #waltwhitman #TheLastSlaveShips #clotilda