This is important because on land, there are several groups of people - the plantation owner(s), the local community, the government - that can extinguish any form of rebellion from one slave or even a whole group. The enslaved person(s) is easily outnumbered and therefore it is not usually in their best interest to risk their life and attempt to run away or something of that sort. Meanwhile, when they are on a ship, in the middle of the sea, they have a greater advantage. Not only are they underestimated, as Jack Williams believes, they are also more easily able to overpower and gain control of a ship by working together. This is because there is no backup on the ship - no form of outside or government interference to quell any attempt at insurgence. If something like that were to happen, no one would know because they are
This is important because on land, there are several groups of people - the plantation owner(s), the local community, the government - that can extinguish any form of rebellion from one slave or even a whole group. The enslaved person(s) is easily outnumbered and therefore it is not usually in their best interest to risk their life and attempt to run away or something of that sort. Meanwhile, when they are on a ship, in the middle of the sea, they have a greater advantage. Not only are they underestimated, as Jack Williams believes, they are also more easily able to overpower and gain control of a ship by working together. This is because there is no backup on the ship - no form of outside or government interference to quell any attempt at insurgence. If something like that were to happen, no one would know because they are