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 Commissioned in London in 1715, the Whydah was originally built to carry slaves from Africa to the New World. Cramped compartments in the ship's hold were constructed to house human cargo on their journey to Caribbean sugar plantations.
As a slave ship, the Whydah's state-of-the art design included a sleek silhouette that made the the ship unusally fast and maneuverable. An arsenal of weapons provided defense against attacks by African and European warships—or pirates.
The Whydah's Owners
The Whydah was one of many independent slave ships licensed by the Royal African Company, which controlled most of the English slave trade. In return for the license, the ship's owners paid the company ten percent of the profits.
 Lawrence Prince, the captain of the Whydah, was an experienced slave trader who probably also owned a share in the ship. Other owners likely included a consortium of English businessmen who each put up money to build the ship in return for a portion of the profit.
The Whydah's Maiden Voyage
The Whydah left on her maiden voyage in early 1716. Traveling out the English Channel and into the Atlantic, she then turned south toward Africa.
Like other slave ships, she worked her way around the West African coast from modern Gambia and Senegal to Nigeria and Benin, picking up captives along the way. Eventually she landed in in Ouidah (Wee-dah)—the slave port from which the Whydah had taken her name.
Continue through The Slave Ship Whydah: The Slave Trade. >>
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