When George Tyler, captain of the slave ship Charlotte, is becalmed in
the middle of the Atlantic, time is not on his side. In the cargo hold
are hundreds of thirsty slaves, and water supplies are low. Running out
of options Tyler orders the crew to do the unthinkable and throw many of
the slaves overboard to drown.
As Tyler sails back into Bristol, the story of the Charlotte ignites a
debate about the future of slavery. On one side are the abolitionists,
determined to force the government to end slavery; on the other, the
traders themselves, uncaring about anything except maintaining the
wealth the trade brings. And in the middle, imprisoned and awaiting
trial for murder, Tyler must confront his own morality and pick a side -
the abolitionists or the traders.
Told from the perspective of the men who ran the trade and the sailors
who participated in it, and those who worked to end slavery, A Slaver's
Tide is at times confronting, shocking and moving. It is the story of
the best and worst of humanity and one man's journey through guilt and
damnation to what lies beyond.