The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder That Inspired the Abolition of Slavery

The Zorg was an infamous British slave trading ship in the 1800s. While little of the exact details are known about the events aboard this ship, the author has done an incredible job of piecing together what is known about its voyages. The author is an authority on slavery in many forms. While the slavery of Africans and their middle passage was always unspeakable and horrific, the Zorg became instrumental in curtailing British slave trading due to the facts that came to light incidentally. The crew of the Zorg was responsible for casting over l30 chained together humans into the sea to die a horrific death. Many must have been close to death due to the usual conditions aboard slave ships. When the loss and suffering on this ship came to light, the courts found that the loss of lives, although extreme, remained within the bounds of acceptability. It was only when the insurance company demurred from compensating the vessel’s owners that some sort of justice prevailed. This book is very difficult to read, however, it is important to recognize all true and historic events.