Episode Information

This is the true, extraordinary story of the final days of a notorious slave ship, the Meermin, and how in 1766 it was shipwrecked at the southernmost tip of Africa. At the heart of this story are 147 slaves from Madagascar, who in an astonishing mutiny, overpowered the Dutch crew and took over the ship. It was the first successful rebellion on a slave ship.

Their goal was to free themselves and force the crew to sail them back home to Madagascar. But through a sinister act of deception, the crew turned the boat around each evening and made full sail for Cape Town – the original destination of the slaves. And so the stage was set for a dramatic climax, when the ship and its desperate passengers finally spied land.

A story of rebellion, bravery, and shipwreck, this extraordinary moment in history is finally receiving the recognition it deserves.