The second leg of the Triangular Trade, where millions of Africans were densely packed onto ships and transported across the Atlantic to the West Indies and the Americas to be sold as slaves.
Describe the typical conditions for Africans aboard slave ships during the Middle Passage.
People were chained together and crammed into extremely tight, unsanitary spaces below deck. Disease, malnutrition, and brutality were rampant, leading to extremely high mortality rates.
What was the estimated mortality rate during the Middle Passage?
Historians estimate that between \(10\%\) and \(20\%\) of the captive Africans died during the journey, meaning millions perished at sea.
How long did the average Middle Passage voyage last?
The journey could last anywhere from one to three months, depending on the points of departure and arrival, as well as weather conditions.
What were some forms of resistance by Africans during the Middle Passage?
Resistance included organized revolts and uprisings, individual acts of defiance, hunger strikes (refusing to eat), and suicide by jumping overboard.
What were 'slave castles' or 'factories' on the African coast?
They were fortified trading posts, like Elmina Castle, where Europeans held captured Africans before they were loaded onto slave ships. They represented a 'point of no return' for the captives.
Approximately how many Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic during the entire era of the slave trade?
While exact numbers are impossible to know, historians estimate that between \(10\) million and \(12.5\) million Africans were forced onto slave ships, with millions more dying in the process.
What was the purpose of 'dancing the slaves' on the ship's deck?
Captives were forced onto the deck for exercise, which crews called 'dancing.' This was not for recreation but a brutal method to keep their muscles from atrophying to make them appear healthier and more valuable for sale upon arrival.
