4. Overcrowded and Unsanitary Conditions
Below deck, enslaved people were packed in rows, sometimes with less than two feet of space per person. Chained together for weeks, they had almost no room to move or lie comfortably. Ventilation was poor, and darkness prevailed. Human waste accumulated quickly, with no proper sanitation. These conditions fueled the rapid spread of diseases like dysentery and smallpox, causing immense suffering and death among the captives during the voyage.
