Final answer:
Enslaved Africans frequently attempted to overthrow the crews on slave ships, contributing to the broader resistance against the brutal conditions of slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yes, enslaved Africans did attempt to overthrow the crews of slave ships during the transatlantic slave trade. While it is difficult to determine the exact number of attempts due to record inconsistencies, resistance occurred frequently. These acts of revolt on slave ships were one aspect of the broader resistance to the inhuman conditions of slavery and were significant in drawing attention to the plight of the enslaved.
Such revolts were desperate and often brutal confrontations, with few turning out successfully due to the heavy restrictions and control by the ship crews. Nonetheless, these uprisings, along with organized rebellions on land, such as the New York City revolts in 1712 and 1741, and large-scale uprisings like the German Coast Uprising in 1811 and Nat Turner's Rebellion, exhibit the continual resistance to the oppressive institution of slavery.