5. Rampant Disease and High Mortality
The filthy, airless holds became breeding grounds for deadly diseases like dysentery, smallpox, and measles. With captives weakened by malnutrition and stress, infections spread quickly and uncontrollably. Mortality rates were staggering—historians estimate that up to 20% of those on board died before ever reaching the Americas. The constant presence of sickness and death heightened the sense of hopelessness and despair throughout the voyage.
