1701–1775: While the average length of voyages to the Caribbean did not significantly change in the mid-eighteenth century, shipboard mortality rates began a…

1701–1775: While the average length of voyages to the Caribbean did not significantly change in the mid-eighteenth century, shipboard mortality rates began a noticeable decline. Regional differences in survival remained strong, with voyages from the Bight of Biafra consistently experiencing the heaviest loss of human life. In contrast, slaving vessels departing from West Central Africa generally recorded the lowest mortality rates during this era. These patterns suggest that local factors on the African coast continued to play a major role in determining the outcome of the transatlantic crossing.