Middle Passage Slavery

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From the beginning of slavery in the Americas until it was abolished in 1865, nearly 27,000 slave ships took slaves inhumanely across the atlantic ocean on a route known as the middle passage.The journey took from one to six months, depending on weather conditions, the conditions on the journey were disgusting and many Africans died before they could reach the Americas.

The living conditions on the journey across the middle passage were appalling. Slaves were packed into very cramped spaces and chained together by the legs, often they would have to practically lie on each other to fit into the space that was provided. Moving around was nearly impossible, which caused conditions to be very unhygienic. However, they were allowed time on deck to exercise or “relax”, men were shackled together as they were seen as a threat, but the women and children were allowed to wander on deck. There were many other things to worry about besides being cramped.

Disease was one of the most common causes of …show more content…
On some ships they were taken up on deck to be fed by the crew twice a day, on other ships they were fed below deck. If food supplies on the ship were low, the slaves would be given little to no food as priority for food was put on the captain and crew. Many slaves were forced to suicide by the horrible conditions, and one of the forms of suicide was refusing to eat, however the crew would force feed the slaves. “On my refusing to eat, one of them held me fast by the hands, and laid me across I think the windlass, and tied my feet, while the other flogged me severely.”- Olaudah Equiano. Starvation suicide attempts eventually became so common that a punishment device called “speculum orum” was created specifically to force slave’s mouths open. There were many other ways to punish slaves besides using the “speculum

Slavery During The Middle Passage

The Middle Passage was the stage of the triangular trade. Millions of Africans were delivered to the Americas as part of the Atlantic slave trade. The voyage usually took six to eight weeks, but bad weather could increase this to 13 weeks or more. During the 17th-century thousands of slaves were transported from Africa to America. Conditions on board ship during the Middle Passage were disgusting and mind-blowing. The men were packed together below deck and were strapped tightly by leg irons. Space…

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Difference Between American Slavery And Middle Passage

For American slaves travel was rough. Lots of these slaves had to go through the middle passage. The middle passage was a trade between America, Europe, and Africa. America gave raw materials to Europe which they then turned those raw materials into manufactured goods which they then sent those off to Africa. Then Africa gave America slaves. When they came to America they were put on at auction blocks and sold to plantation owners. When they were working they used the slash and burn method which…

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Middle Passage Research Paper

enslaved people. These ways range from things such as the Middle Passage, being caught and sold to others as well as the general life of the enslaved people on the plantations. This essay will debate which of these factors was the cruellest, however, in the minds of many people the transportation through the middle passage was the cruellest due to the harsh conditions, lack of space and the mass spreading of disease. Firstly, the Middle Passage was the cruellest part of the slave trade due to the harsh…

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Olaudah Equiano Analysis

institution of slavery. Because not many slaves during his time were literate, written pieces documenting the reality of slavery through the eyes of slaves are rare. Equiano’s documentation of his experiences brings a whole new perspective to the institution, making it at a prominent part of African American history. In his memoir, he touches on various topics relating to slavery and how it impacted him, as well as other slaves. Three of those are the difference between slavery in Africa and slavery in the…

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How Did The Triangular Trade Affect The Economy

It came from a passage across the sea 9,000 miles long. In this book you will learn about the triangular trade route where England earned most of their economy. The Colonies are in this book too. You can learn about slavery and how they were treated. If you want to learn more, read on. Subtopic #3 The triangular trade route The triangular trade route was a triangle between North America and Europe. Slaves were brought from Africa to the Caribbean, and the U.S. The middle passage was between Africa…

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Slave Ship Essay

The Slave Ship by Marcus Rediker is a great fiction novel that describes the horrifying experiences of Africans, seamen, and captains on their journey through the Middle Passage. The Middle Passage marked the water way in the Atlantic Ocean between Africa and the Americas. The use of slaves provided a great economy for the European countries due to the fact that these African slaves provided free labor while cultivating sugar cane in the Caribbean and America. Rediker describes the slave migration…

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Us History Essay

slave trade. Slavery in the northern colonies wasn’t as important, it became less of a threat to society as a whole. The triangular trades crisscrossed the Atlantic Ocean carrying British manufactured goods to Africa and the colonies and slaves to New World. The colonial goods that were being shipped were tobacco, indigo, sugar, and rice. The slave economies of the West Indies were the largest market for fish, grain, livestock and lumber which was exported from New England and the Middle Colonies.…

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Middle Passage Olaudah Equiano

The life and actions of Olaudah Equiano made him a crusader for the abolishment of slavery. From his strong testimony from the Middle Passage to the purchase of his own freedom, Equiano’s entire life is a protestation against slavery. Equiano wrote his narrative as an argument for the abolition of slavery, using his personal experiences to back his ideas. Olaudah Equiano was born in 1745, in a province of Africa called Eboe. Equiano began his narrative with several letters from influential people…

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Middle Passage Olaudah Equiano

Olaudah Equiano also known as Gustavus Vassa, was born in Benin, West Africa in 1745. According to his biography, at an early age of ten years old he was kidnapped by Africans and sold into slavery which he documented – “The next day proved a day of greater sorrow than I had yet experienced; for my sister and I were then separated, while we lay clasped in each other's arms. It was in vain that we besought them not to part us; she was tom from me, and immediately carried away, while I was left in…

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Atlantic System Essay

Atlantic System: Most slaves would arrive to the southern colonies. Slaves comprise majority of the Southern population. Slavery in general: It did exist in other places but it was not racially based. Slavery early on was based on religion not racial differences the modern understaning of slavery comes in the 15th century. New type of slavery emerges with the Atlantic System: the long distance, international capitalism emerging around the Atlantic Ocean under European control. A trade network…

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