Shackled and crammed into the ships' holds in the most grotesque and insanitary conditions, the slaves would then have to endure the so-called "Middle Passage" across the Atlantic between Africa and the Americas, a journey that could last anything from five weeks to three months.
The secrecy of Swiss bank accounts dated back to the Middle Ages but was made law in the early 20th century with the passage of the Banking Law of 1934.
Mr. Cuomo cast the deal as the capstone on a year of victories that included the legalization of same-sex marriage and the passage of a plan to raise tax revenue from high-income New Yorkers while lowering taxes on the middle class.