What tactic might slavers use to evade capture by the West Africa Squadron?

Flying a flag from another nation would have been a strategic tactic used by slavers to create a deceptive appearance that could prevent suspicion and capture by the West Africa Squadron. During the time when the squadron was active, many slave ships attempted to evade detection by presenting themselves as legitimate vessels from nations that were not enforcing anti-slavery laws. This tactic was effective because it allowed slavers to exploit diplomatic protections that other countries afforded to their flagged ships, thus decreasing the likelihood of interception by naval patrols actively seeking to suppress the slave trade.

The choice to fly a foreign flag would provide a layer of plausible deniability, making it harder for the West Africa Squadron to justify stopping and searching the ship. This practice highlights the cunning maneuvers slaves traders resorted to in order to continue their illegal operations while evading enforcement efforts.