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The men, women and children were shackled and confined to the stifling cargo holds below deck. Common hazards of the voyage, stemming from no other source than poor diet and close confinement, included scurvy and gangrene. Dehydration, caused by lack of drinking water and high loss of bodily fluids from fevers or dysentery, was a primary killer aboard the slaving vessels.

Africans were confined below deck in cargo holds where they were chained together on two tiers of shelves with little or no room for adults to stand in. Many cargo holds had less than 18" between the shelves. Male slaves were generally held captive with the right foot of one shackled to the left foot of another. Women were not normally chained and children were usually allowed to run free on the ship.[1]

The captains and sailors of the boats were allowed to do whatever they wanted with the slaves. This included rape, murder, and torture because the slaves were considered their property.

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