State Historical Society of Iowa

Africans Imprisoned on the Slave Ship "Wildfire," 1860

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The slave deck of the ship "Wildfire."
Courtesy of Library of Congress, "The Africans of the slave bark 'Wildfire' -- The slave deck of the bark 'Wildfire,' brought into Key West on April 30, 1860," 1860

Source Description

Published in the June 2, 1860, issue of Harper's Weekly, "The Slave Deck of the Bark 'Wildfire'" showed how Africans were forced to travel on the upper deck of the ship. The illustration of the Wildfire is illustrating the 510 people that were enslaved and transported to Key West (Florida) from somewhere near the Congo River.

Source-Dependent Questions

  • What does it mean to be held captive?
  • Why were enslaved people given so little room on the ship?
  • What would be difficult about sailing for weeks or months in these kinds of conditions?

Citation Information 

"The Africans of the slave bark 'Wildfire' -- The slave deck of the bark 'Wildfire,' brought into Key West on April 30, 1860," 1860. Courtesy of Library of Congress