Predator of the Seas

Stephen Taylor

Predator of the Seas
Format
Hardback
Publisher
Yale University Press
Country
United States
Published
27 November 2024
Pages
368
ISBN
9780300263992

Predator of the Seas

Stephen Taylor

The dramatic biography of a slaveship turned freedom-fighter-which brings new insights into Britain's involvement in the end of the trade in enslaved people

In 1827 the Royal Navy purchased a Baltimore clipper and renamed her the Black Joke. Assigned to the Preventative Squadron, she patrolled the west coast of Africa and freed 3,692 captives from enslavement. Beloved by seafarers and celebrated by the public, the Black Joke would become the most famous weapon in the campaign for abolition.

But in her previous life as the Henriqueta, the Black Joke had been a slave ship.

Through the experiences of slavers and abolitionists, captives and crew, Stephen Taylor charts the vessel's extraordinary double life. As the Henriqueta she operated as an engine of atrocity, trafficking over 3,000 captives to plantations in Brazil. But subsequently manned by British seamen and Liberian Kru, the Black Joke became the scourge of Spanish and Brazilian slavers. She did so despite limited resources, neglect, and even obstruction by the authorities at home.

Taylor offers a gripping account of the world of the transatlantic trade, through the eyes of its perpetrators-and those who sought its end.

This item is not currently in-stock. It can be ordered online and is expected to ship in 10-14 days

Our stock data is updated periodically, and availability may change throughout the day for in-demand items. Please call the relevant shop for the most current stock information. Prices are subject to change without notice.

Sign in or become a Readings Member to add this title to a wishlist.