Many Golden Dreams

In chapter one of Adam Hochschild’s book, Bury the Chains, we learn about the extreme pursuit of wealth and the booming slave industry. Slavery became the foundation of commerce, and organizing long trading voyages turned men like John Newton into entrepreneurs. Gaining the wealth and respectability associated with these trade voyages, other traders joined the industry. The original goal to fill the vessel with slaves became increasingly more difficult, and anything was traded to beat the competition. Men quickly turned greedy, slaves were treated brutally, and the death toll was rising due to unlivable conditions on the vessels.