History

Watch the video The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade”https://www.slavevoyages.org/voyage/ship#slave- ” (Links to an external site.) and examine the images below. Then, imagine that you are a journalist writing an article/Op-Ed about the Middle Passage. Describe what survivors of the Middle Passage experienced. How long was the journey? What conditions did they face on the ship? How might it have felt to be taken from their home and family to face enslavement in a foreign land?

Write at least 250 words and cite all sources using Chicago Manual of Style (Links to an external site.) guidelines.

ANSWER

The Middle Passage

The middle passage is the phase of the Atlantic slave trade that involved masses of enslaved Africans transported by force to America. Two by two, males and females were forced beneath the deck to get into the bowels of the slave ship (Radburn and Eltis, 2019). The middle passage lasted for about 80 days, where the slaves were packed together and transported in unfavourable conditions. Survivors of the Middle passage spent several months travelling to various parts of the coast.

The captives were in severe condition due to poor health caused by mental and physical abuse. They were taken on board, stripped naked and examined by the surgeon and captain from head to toe. Conditions on board were appalling, with spaces so cramped to the extent that they lied and crouched down. Men were packed together below deck and secured using leg irons.

Children and women were put separately on quarters and at times deck, which allowed them some space. Women were exposed to sexual abuse and violence from the crew. The air in the decks was putrid and foul, which led to sickness due to suffocating and unhygienic conditions. They were offered food twice a day, with those refusing to eat being forced to eat. They were chained and restricted to move, which quickly spread sickness due to lack of healthy conditions (Wood, 2017). The survivors of these harsh conditions for two months. The combination of inadequate food, diseases, rebellion, and punishment led to a harsh experience for the captives.

The captives had negative responses to the enslavement since some escaped, resisted by appealing to the law, and even committed crimes such as murder and suicide. The enslavement was full of disappointment due to financial difficulties, insecurity, conflict situation, survivor guilt and mental health issues due to trauma. During the middle passage, the slaves experienced torture, violence, and threats that affected their physical and mental ability.