...The Middle Passage was the triangular slave trade route between 1450 and 1860. It was called the triangular trade because he trade was between three countries. First, commercial goods were shipped to Africa for and traded for African slaves. The slaves were then brought to the Americas in exchange for raw materials. Finally the materials were brought back to Europe to complete the triangle. “For weeks, months, sometimes as long as a year, they waited in the dungeons of the slave factories scattered along Africa's western coast. They had already made the long, difficult journey from Africa's interior but just barely. Out of the roughly 20 million who were taken from their homes and sold into slavery, half didn't complete the journey to the African coast, most of those dying along the way” (T.M.P. 1) The Middle Passage was used by many ships carrying slaves to the Americas. African slaves were brought to the New World unwillingly. They were either purchased or kidnapped. The Middle Passage took about ninety days. However, at times it would take roughly a few months to transport Africans. None of them knew of the horrible journey they were about to encounter. “The system by which these human beings were been transported across the ocean was reported to be the worst of its kind in the history of mankind” (Adeuyan 40). The conditions aboard the ships crossing the Atlantic were horrible. Hundreds of slaves were packed below the deck of the ships. Slaves had to go to the bathroom...
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...The "Middle Passage” was the stage of the triangular trade in which millions of people from Africa were shipped to the New World, as part of the Atlantic slave trade. Ships departed Europe for African markets with manufactured goods, which were traded for purchased or kidnapped Africans, who were transported across the Atlantic as slaves; the slaves were then sold or traded for raw materials, which would be transported back to Europe to complete the voyage. The journey of slave trading ships was from the west coast of Africa, where the slaves were obtained, across the Atlantic, where they were sold or, in some cases, traded for goods such as molasses, which was used in the making of rum. However, this voyage has come to be remembered for much more than simply the transport and sale of slaves. The Middle Passage was the longest, hardest, most dangerous, and also most horrific part of the journey of the slave ships. With extremely tightly packed loads of human cargo that stank and carried both infectious disease and death, the ships would travel east to west across the Atlantic on a miserable voyage lasting at least five weeks, and sometimes as long as three months. Although incredibly profitable for both its participants and their investing backers, the terrible Middle Passage has come to represent the ultimate in human misery and suffering. The abominable and inhuman conditions which the Africans were faced with on their voyage clearly display the great evil of the slave trade...
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...The middle passage has its own history of cruelty and violence. During the Atlantic slave trades, the middle passage connected Africa with the Americas. During the passages, the healthy as well as physical conditions were responsible for the loss of life of many slave men, women and children. The slaves were kept in shackles however, the women and children were treated slightly better but the treatment was still inadequate, because after all they were still a slave. The conditions for slaves were so bad that prior to the 18th century, an estimated 13% of the captured slaves did not survive the journey to the New World. Another cause of death was the slaves intentionally starving themselves as a form of rebellion; however, if they were caught...
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...Politics in Robert Hayden’s First “Middle Passage.” African American Review 45, no. 4 (Winter 2012): 557-573 Through the extensive dissection of Robert Hayden’s poem “The Middle Passage,” Carl Plasa argues that “The Middle Passage” was essential in addressing the segregationist structure of 1940s America. Although, according to Hayden, the main purpose of his work was to “contribute toward an understanding of what our past had really been like”(557). While it did just that, it had a more constructive effect on Americans in the 1940s. During a time of segregation, “The Middle Passage” reminded Americans of their past identity as oppressors. As Hayden recalls the hardships and cruelties upon the slave ships, his goal is to inspire a project of counter-violence. I specifically enjoyed the line, “Shuttles in the rocking loom of history, the dark ships move, the dark ships move” (567). This metaphor cleverly combines the slaves’ labor aboard the ships with the motion of the machines Northern American workers used to make profitable textiles. Through this ironic metaphor, I believe that Hayden is trying to tell Americans of the 1940s that most people wrongfully benefitted from slavery; it wasn’t just the south. He wants to remind Americans that no one was right when it came to slavery, and everyone should be accepting and sympathetic to all African Americans. Thus, Plasa provided me with an in depth look at the ongoing importance of the middle passage as it is used to inspire the end...
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...“ I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” - Harriet Tubman. From 1619 until the end of the slave trade many Africans were forcibly brought to the Americas. Imported to the Americas for economic gain, slaves were often treated inhumanely. Physically and mentally exploited, slaves were seen as property. Today slavery is seen as a dark part of history because African people were mistreated, suffered cruel working conditions, and had their human rights violated. By looking at the lives of slaves one can see the true hardships these people faced during this period of time in history. Starting with the Middle Passage and continuing to their everyday lives on plantations, slaves were treated...
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...our nation, economically affected the world, and ultimately impacted racial issues we are having in today’s society. The Triangular Trade process was distinctive yet straightforward, specifically the exchange of goods and slaves. The Triangular Trade was a three-sided international exchange of goods involving Europe to Africa, Africa to the Americas, and the Americas to Europe. The first leg was European ships sailing to Africa carrying iron commodity, textiles, rum, guns, ammunition, and manufactured goods in exchange for spices, gold, and most importantly slaves. The second leg involved ships sailing to the Americas voyaging through the route primarily known as the Middle Passage carrying the slave’s required to work on plantations in exchange for goods. A slave explains the ghastly conditions of the middle passage first-hand as, “This produced copious perspirations, so that the air soon became unfit for respiration, from a...
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...The Plantation Sugar – The New Age The sole cash crop that crushed the exportation of cotton and tobacco and reigned in the Caribbean for the next two hundred (200) years was sugar. Dutch colonists in Brazil were the 1st to grow sugar extensively. They then taught the English, in Barbados, ways of cultivation and manufacture in 1644 and soon “sugar was king”. By 1650, Barbados was the primary sugar-producer and was known as “the brightest jewel in the crown of King Charles II”. Other French colonies soon followed Barbados. The Sugar Revolution Definition Sugar Revolution – drastic change from producing a variety of crops to sugar cane ONLY. Implications of the Sugar Revolution/ Changes brought about by the Sugar Revolution: a) New Methods of producing sugar – The English and French began inventing new and better ways of processing sugar cane. b) The Labour Force – Planting and processing sugar cane required extensive labour force. The planters wanted work to be done using the cheapest labour force, which in the end, would mean greater profits for them when the sugar was sold. Thus, an increasing number of African slaves were used. c) Increase in the price of Land: Great sugar plantations developed by buying the small plots of land that were used to cultivate tobacco. As sugar became more profitable, the demand for land increased, which caused the price of land to increase. d) Change in governance – As the English French and Dutch colonies...
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...Africa, America, and Europe creating a triangular route of trade. This system was developed to fulfill the needs of each country and to become industrialized. The Triangular Trade caused extreme complication and effected Africa in numerous ways. On the first leg of the trip European merchants went to Africa to trade their household goods in return for a desired number of slaves, Then shipped the slaves to America on what was known was the Middle Passage where they were sold for cash and bought tobacco, rum, sugar and cotton back to Europe where these products were sold for outstanding profits. This trading method was very successful because African Americans already practiced slavery in Africa and America was in high demand for laborers to work the sugar cane plantations and make profit trading the finished product to Europe. “The Middle Passage was the stage of the triangular trade in which millions of people from Africa were shipped to the New World as part of the Atlantic slave trade” (Middle Passage,Wikipedia). This was often considered the first leg of the journey. European merchants sailed to Africa with manufactured goods to trade in return for a ship...
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...Dear Journal, I would like to share my experience as a slave on a slave ship during the Middle Passage. Things were very harsh and just the thought of it makes me shiver. On the ship, we were kept chained to platforms in the hold below the deck. It was a nasty, stinky place, not even fit for a pet. The food and water were barely enough to keep us alive. Also the burning heat and toxic fumes caused some slaves to die due to the horrible conditions. Most salves have never seen such light skin which made them think that they will be cooked and eaten. So out of fear, slaves jumped overboard to be free but white men always seem to catch them in rowboats. Some slaves would force themselves to starve to death to end their misery, but their plans always failed and led to being punished by whipping and burning their lips with hot coals. I wanted to rebel but there was no way out and I had to accept my destiny. How could any man treat a human being with such inhumanity, humiliation, brutality and cruelty? During that period I was filled with dread, fear, shock and despair because it is far beyond words to explain the damage that has been done to us. I was disgusted with my life. Every night you can hear the slaves moaning and crying out of pain and suffer. Who gave white men the right to judge us by our dark skin? Never in my life, I had seen or heard of such cruel treatment of captives. Till this day these things haunt me day and night but I’m learning to live with it. My prayers...
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...strive for glory it makes them work and try harder for their people. Gold is what people wanted to acquire and it served many purposes, one being trade. When the Native Americans didn’t produce their gold quota for the day they received harsh treatment from the Spanish (Document 1). Gold was an important resource used for economic gain by those in control. The Age of Exploration had some negative effects which all resulted in death.As more places were being explored there was a constant exchange of diseases.Many slaves contracted diseases from the Europeans and they eventually died (Document 4). Diseases kill millions but now people search for cures and give vaccinations.The Triangular Trade also know as slave trade was very lucrative.The Middle Passage was a journey that African Slaves were forced to take which had them crowded in close quarters and harsh conditions. These slaves were later sold as goods (Document 4).Slavery was eventually spread all around the world. Occasionally with conflict came war which like the spread of diseases and the triangular trade resulted in death.There were several colonial wars where England and France fought against each other to gain more land in the New World. They were accompanied by their allies which include the Native Americans, Canadians, Floridians, and so on (Document 7). Wars established boundaries but they also made the government lose money. Despite all of the problems that arose because of the Age of Exploration there were many positive...
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...was kidnapped into slavery. However, with the story of Olaudah Equiano comes a question. Was Equiano an African who merely wanted to share his life’s story or was he born in South Carolina and wrote this as a calculated attempt to “increase the odium against the West India planters?” as Vincent Carretta states. If the first presumption is correct, then all is well and the story can be revered as a highly respected expositional work of history. Although, if the second is correct, then this calls into question Equiano’s right to play the victim in representing the slaves who suffered through the Middle Passage. The answer to this highly debated question lies in the accuracy of his details, the historical validity of his stories, and the fact that pro-slavery writers are the source of the original doubt. In his autobiography, Olaudah Equiano describes his experience of the Middle Passage with many details. For example, one of the most notable details he notes of the slave ship was the horrible stench that reeked from the lower deck. Equiano writes, “I was soon put down under the decks, and there I received such a...
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...Paper Assignment Two Humanities 240D Mr. Wilson March 27, 2012 From the earliest of times, many countries explored lands that could help them develop and expand over time. Members from the countries in the fifteenth through the eighteenth centuries had traveled to the extent that trade routes were established and it opened up the eyes of each country and their opportunities. European nations would travel to the Americas and Africa hoping to gain land and other resources, while the Americas and Africa hoped to gain resources they could use for their own gain. Resources such as plants, foods, and animals are native to different lands around the world; over time, as cultures came into contact, it was inevitable for global interactions between Europe, the Americas, and Africa to arise. Without these cultures coming into contact, the expansion of each of these countries developments would not have happened. Between the 1400’s and 1800’s, European mariners had a series of expensive voyages that took them to all the earth’s waters. These voyages helped them discover the world’s geography, but helped them gain something much more. European merchants established a network of communication, transportation, and interaction. The reason behind establishing these networks was to search for basic resources and lands to grow cash crops, establish trade routes, and to expand the influence of Christianity. One European voyage that took place was by Amerigo Vespucci. He traveled to the coast...
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...The capture in Africa was the beginning of the suffering for the slaves. There were three main methods that the slave traders used to capture slaves which were tricking, kidnapping and buying them from tribe leaders. To trick the slaves, they would use pieces of colored cloth to lead the slaves to the ship. Once they realized what was happening, it was too late to escape. The slave traders also kidnapped the slaves by force and other tribe leaders would capture people from opposing tribes. Those tribe leaders would sell their prisoners to the slave traders for money. The Middle passage is the journey on board of a slave ship from Africa to the United States. The Middle passage is usually 3-4 weeks long. This journey was very painful because the slaves had little room and little food which made diseases common and spread very quickly. The two leading factors for deaths on a slave ship were starvation (since the food was randomly throw into the crowd from the top) and diseases. The dead bodies would be thrown into the ocean by the Whites. Slaves would also tried to suicide by...
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...aftermath of the war finally brought the idea of black colonization efforts. Prompt Two The First and Second Middle Passages were similar and different in many ways. While both were extremely brutal, there were certain aspects that set them apart like family bondage and the methods of transportation. There were also many ways that they were similar like the terrible conditions, violence and resistance, and the profitability gained by slave owners and traders. In the First Middle Passage, the mass numbers transported on the ships made conditions horrific. During this time, 12.5 million slaves were transported. Even though countries like Britain had parliamentary rules restricting the mass amount of people on these ships, these rules were often ignored. Slaves were shackled together and often times the space was so limited that there was only standing or laying room. These ships were like slave factories and what was considered a short trip was still six weeks long. Malnourishment and disease killed thousands of slaves. Families endured these terrible conditions together. New communities were created on the ships that were called “saltwater societies.” In the Second Middle Passage, people were forced to march from the East to the Southwest, with some being transported through waterways, because of the booming cotton industry. Unlike the First Middle Passage, it became normal to force families apart from one another. This tested the endurance of many slaves and cause...
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...confusion on why I believe that your passage on Middle English, in your essay on Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, is plagiarized. First of all, I do not believe that you intentionally plagiarized it although based off of the sentence structure it is a paraphrase of C. Hugh Holman’s definition of Middle English from A Handbook to Literature. You did reword your passage, but in terms of each sentence of your passage, they contain identical information compared to the sentences C. Hugh Holman’s passage about Middle English, in the exact same order as well. Since you did not cite your passage, the penalty would be to receive a grade of zero on the entire assignment. Although, I do believe you when you say it is common knowledge, and I also do believe that you did this unintentionally and not on purpose, so I shall instead disregard that specific passage Middle English, and not evaluate that section. For future reference, there are many techniques that you can use in order to avoid plagiarism. To begin, if you plan on summarizing, paraphrasing, or quoting, you must create a citation no matter what. Aside from those things, to avoid plagiarism in the first place you should record all of your sources when you make your notes, or create a summary of something that you plan on using and then when you are actually writing in your essay, and then write based off of the summary. I hope you understand my reasoning of why I believe that your passage was plagiarized, and I hope that you...
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