The middle passage of the transatlantic slave trade typically lasted around 6-8 weeks, depending on the specific route and conditions. Slaves were packed tightly into ships and endured harsh and overcrowded conditions during the journey from Africa to the Americas.
Slave traders viewed slaves as property to be bought and sold for profit. Treating them as cargo was a way to maximize their own financial gain. The inhuman conditions on the Middle Passage were often justified by the mindset that slaves were expendable and replaceable.
Some slaves chose to jump overboard because they saw it as a way to escape the brutal conditions of slavery, even if it meant risking death by drowning. Others may have been driven to desperation by the horrors of the Middle Passage and chose to end their lives rather than face further suffering.
The slave trade was driven by economic interests, as European nations sought to exploit the labor of enslaved Africans to work in colonies across the Americas. The rise of capitalism and the need for cheap labor played a significant role in perpetuating the trade. Additionally, racist ideologies that dehumanized Africans and justified their enslavement also underpinned the horrors of the slave trade.
Olaudah Equiano wanted to end slavery because he himself was enslaved and experienced the horrors and injustices of the system. He became a prominent abolitionist and used his own story to advocate for the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.
Olaudah Equiano
Slave traders profited from the Middle Passage. The Middle Passage is one of the most horrific moments in World History and it lined the pockets of the slave traders who captured human beings and sold them like objects.
triangular slave trade
Equiano
Middle Passage
middle passage
What was the slave trade referred to as? Well it was referred to as a Middle Passage.
Amerigo Vespucci in 1643
middle passage
middle passage
The Middle Passage was the final leg of the slave trade route. It began in Africa and crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
Middle passage is the sea journey undertaken by slave ships. This happened from West Africa to the West Indies.