The Zorg is the most consequential slave ship of the 18th century whose voyage changed the course of history, yet the story remains largely unknown. Drawing on a trove of archival materials, New York Times bestselling author Siddharth Kara uncovers new details of the Zorg ''s voyage and takes the reader on a gripping journey from the Netherlands to Africa''s Gold Coast where it was captured by a British privateer before loading its human cargo and heading onto Jamaica on its ill-fated journey to fuel the lucrative sugar trade. A series of unpredictable weather events and mistakes in navigation left the ship drastically off course, running out of food and water. To save the crew and the most valuable of the slaves, the captain decided to throw 140 slaves, mostly women and children, overboard. What followed is a fascinating legal drama in England''s highest court that turned the brutal business of slavery into front page news. For the first time, concepts such as human rights and morality entered the discourse on slavery, in a notorious case that boiled down to a simple but profound question: were the Africans on board the Zorg people or cargo? The case of the Zorg catapulted the nascent anti-slavery movement to one of the most consequential moral campaigns that changed the course of history.

Autorentext
Siddharth Kara is an author, researcher, and activist on modern slavery. Kara has written several books and reports on slavery and child labour, most recently the New York Times bestseller and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Cobalt Red. Kara also won the Frederick Douglass Book Prize. He has lectured at Harvard University and held a professorship at the University of Nottingham. He divides his time between Los Angeles and London.

Klappentext

*'A horrific tale of the slave trade, destined to become a classic' New York Times

• The New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2025*
  * Time's 100 Must Read Books of 2025
  The New Yorker 12 Essential Non-Fiction Reads*

  From the New York Times bestselling author of Cobalt Red, discover the incredible true story and page-turning account of the 18th century slave ship, often known as the Zong yet actually named the Zorg - ironically meaning 'care' - that sparked the human rights campaign to end the slave trade.

  Perfect for fans of David Grann's The Wager and The Wide, Wide Sea by Hampton Sides.

  'Remarkable, riveting', Adam Hochschild, historian and bestselling author of King Leopold's Ghost and Bury the Chains

  *In 1781, the Zorg* set off from The Netherlands to West Africa and from there onto the Caribbean. The fateful voyage would alter the course of history forever.

  By the time its journey ends, the Zorg would become the first undeniable argument against slavery.**

  When a series of unpredictable weather events and navigational errors led to the Zorg sailing off course and running low on supplies, the ship's captain threw more than a hundred slaves overboard in order to save the crew and the most valuable slaves. The ship's owners then claimed their loss on insurance, a first for slaves who had not been killed due to insurrection or died of natural causes.

  The insurers refused to pay due to the higher than usual mortality rate of the slaves on board, leading to a trial which initially found in their favour, in which Chief Justice Mansfield compared the slaves to horses. Thanks to the outrage of one man present in court that day, a retrial was held. For the first time, concepts such as human rights and morality entered the discourse on slavery in a courtroom case that boiled down to a simple yet profound question: Were the Africans on board people or cargo?

  In his riveting new book, bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Siddharth Kara brings history to life, showcasing how the Zorg's fateful voyage exposed the harsh reality of the slave trade.

  The case catapulted the emerging anti-slavery movement to one of the most consequential moral campaigns that changed the course of history.

  The Zorg is the astonishing yet little-known true story of one of the most consequential ships that ever crossed the Atlantic.