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Captain James Brown sends "Mary"
On March 25, 1735, the father of the family company, "Nicholas Brown and Co.", sent the first slave vessel from Providence in 1735. It was financially a moderately sucessful voyage. -
The Wheel of Fortune gets taken
On February 22, 1759, Nicholas and John Brown, their Uncle Obidiah, and several other merchants outfit a vessel named, "The Wheel of Fortune". The boat and most of the family's investent was taken by a French privateer. -
The Sally sets sail
On September 10, 1764, Nicholas Brown and Co. sent three ships to meet in the Caribbean, two of which were supposed to sell horses and other goods. The third ship, Sally, was supposed to deliver a load of slaves from Africa. The Sally's goal was to engage in activities that would make them a profit and return with a healthy cargo of slaves to any Carribean point of interest. -
Captain Hopins struggle.
On November 10, 1764, the Sally arrived in West Africa. Captain Hopkins met with African leaders and mercants in hopes of leaving Africa with a ship full of slaves. But after the Sven Years war, the African coast was overrun with slave ships. It took 9 months for Hopkins to fill the Sally with slaves. -
Captain Hopkins purchases his last slave.
On August 20, 1765, Captain Hopkins purchased his last slave. He had purchased 196 slaves in total. Twenty had died on the march to the ship, and nine more had been dold to other slave traders on the African coast. -
The slaves rebel on the Sally.
On August 28, 1765, the slaves aboard the Sally attempted to hijack the wheel of the ship. This was quickly averted when Captain Hopkins and his crew opened fire, killing eight of the slaves. By the time the Sally reached Barbados, eighty-eight slaves had died. The surviors were in such bad condition, they fetched hardly any pay. -
The aftermath of the Sally.
The tragedy of the Sally left the Brown brothers in an economic jeopardy. Claiming that they realized the slave trade was wrong, Nicholas, Jospeh, and Moses no longer prticipated in the slave trade, starting November 16, 1765. John, however, believed the potential profits of the slave trade was worth the risk and continued to participate in the slave trade.
