The capture of slave brig Brillante exposed the mass murder of approximately 600 enslaved people by a slaver captain to prevent seizure by the Royal Navy.
Key Facts
- Brillante crew size
- 60 men
- Guns aboard Brillante
- 10 guns
- Slaves murdered before capture
- ~600 people
- Slaves landed by Homans in prior cruises
- 5,000 across 10 voyages
- Royal Navy vessels in final trap
- 4 ships
By the Numbers
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Royal Navy's Blockade of Africa sought to intercept slave ships operating in the Atlantic. Brillante, a heavily armed brig with an experienced English-born captain named Homans, had previously repulsed two British anti-slavery patrol actions, making her a persistent target for the blockade squadron.
Four Royal Navy vessels surrounded and trapped Brillante, leaving no avenue of escape. Before surrendering, Captain Homans ordered that approximately 600 enslaved people have their hands bound to the ship's anchor and be thrown overboard, killing them. British forces arrived immediately after and took control of the vessel without resistance.
The capture of Brillante was recorded as a significant episode in the Blockade of Africa. The mass murder of enslaved captives immediately before the seizure highlighted the extreme violence slavers would employ to evade prosecution, drawing attention to the brutal conditions of the Atlantic slave trade under British suppression efforts.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Captain Homans.