Lecture on the Middle Passage

Introduction

• The Middle Passage was the forced journey of over 12 million enslaved Africans to the Americas.
• Considered a major human rights violation in history.
• Understanding these events is crucial for learning from the past.

The Triangular Trade System

• Middle Passage was part of the triangular trade system (1500s-1800s).
  • Leg 1: Raw materials from North America to Europe.
  • Leg 2: Finished goods from Europe to Western Africa.
  • Leg 3: Enslaved Africans transported to the Americas.

Statistics and Figures

• 1525-1866: 12.5 million Africans forced onto slave ships.
  • 10.7 million survived the journey.
  • 388,000 taken directly to North America.
• Slavery was widespread in the Caribbean, Central, and South America.

Conditions of the Middle Passage

• Deaths: Nearly 2 million died during the journey from disease, starvation, and suicide.
• Living Conditions: Overcrowded ships, poor sanitation leading to diseases like dysentery and scurvy.
• Sharks' migratory patterns changed due to bodies cast into the sea.

Enslavement Process

• Capture: Warring tribes sold prisoners to European traders; kidnapping was common.
• Slave Castles: Warehouses on the coast where slaves were held.
  • Estimated 800,000 died in these conditions before boarding ships.

Experience on Slave Ships

• "Tight packers" forced slaves to lay packed together in extreme heat (>100°F).
• Enforced "dancing" as exercise.
• Included entire families, including children and infants.

Slave Uprisings

• Rarely successful due to lack of arms and navigational skills.
• Famous uprising on the Amistad in 1839 resulted in a Supreme Court trial.
  • Enslaved people were found not guilty and allowed to return to Africa.

Conclusion

• Abolition Efforts: Slave trade outlawed in the U.S. in 1808, but illegal smuggling continued.
• Middle Passage is a significant and horrific part of history that requires reflection and further learning.

Final Thoughts

• The terror of the Middle Passage is hard to fully convey in words.
• Encouragement to learn more about the Middle Passage's significance in history.