Slavery - The Middle Passage Flashcards
What was the Middle Passage
The voyage from Africa to the New World of the Americas was called the Middle Passage.
How long did Slave ships take to complete the voyage on the Middle Passage?
Slave ships usually took between six and eleven weeks to complete the voyage.
How was the movement of the slaves restricted on the Middle Passage?
- Slaves were chained and movement was restricted.
- Slaves were all chained together. If a slave died, the body could remain in the hold for hours, still chained to other living slaves.
What was the state of the slaves health during the Middle Passage?
- Sickness quickly spread
Why did sickness spread quickly amongst the slaves on the boat?
Toilet facilities, air quality, food
- Slaves were unable to go to the toilet and had to lie in their own filth.
- The state of the hold was unbearable – dark, stuffy and stinking.
- African slaves were often unable to digest the food carried by the European crew, making the sickness worse.
What did the crew do to the slaves to try to keep them fit?
Slaves were usually forced to dance on deck for an hour a day.
How was resistance dealt with on the slave ships?
floggings, rape
What was the state of mind of the slaves?
Some slaves became suicidal. There are accounts of slaves drowning by throwing themselves overboard rather than enduring any more.
What are some examples of African kingdoms? Name two.
Mali, Songhai, Nok, Ife, Benin
What are examples of African tribes? Name two.
Mandingo, Serer, Fulani, Felup, Susa, Baga, Chamba, Mende, Kru, Ashanti, Fanti
Provide examples of African culture
Art, trade, education, books, medicine, buildings, wealth
What was “loose pack”?
When slave ships were loosely packed with slaves so there was more space on board.
What was “tight pack”?
When ships were tightly packed with slaves which resulted in lack of resources, disease and death.
