During the middle-passage voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, fifteen to twenty percent of enslaved Africans did not complete the journey. Based on your understanding of the Atlantic Slave trade, what was a primary reason why many slaves did not arrive to America?
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1 point
The triangular trade never included human cargo
The Spanish and Portuguese opposed slavery
Many African slaves lost their lives on the voyage as a result of poor travel conditions
Slaves gathered from villages in Africa were given the option to remain in Africa
Many African slaves lost their lives on the voyage as a result of poor travel conditions.
As a result of very poor travel conditions, _____ of enslaved Africans died during the Middle Passage voyages across the Atlantic.
(1 point)
Responses
40 to 50 percent
40 to 50 percent
25 to 30 percent
25 to 30 percent
15 to 20 percent
15 to 20 percent
5 to 15 percent
The primary reason why many enslaved Africans did not arrive in America during the Middle Passage voyages across the Atlantic Ocean was that a significant number of them lost their lives on the voyage as a result of poor travel conditions. This option can be attributed to their cramped and unsanitary conditions aboard the slave ships, which often led to diseases spreading rapidly, malnutrition, mistreatment, and even suicide.
Based on my understanding of the Atlantic Slave trade, the primary reason why many slaves did not arrive in America during the middle-passage voyages was that many African slaves lost their lives on the journey due to poor travel conditions.
To arrive at this answer, you could consider the following points:
1. The triangular trade did involve the transportation of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic, so it cannot be the correct answer.
2. While the Spanish and Portuguese did eventually become involved in the slave trade, initially they were not opposed to slavery, so this option is not the correct answer.
3. It is well-documented that the conditions aboard the slave ships during the middle passage were extremely harsh and inhumane. Slaves were packed tightly into the ship's cargo hold, subjected to unsanitary conditions, and limited access to food, water, and fresh air. These conditions often led to the spread of diseases, malnutrition, and high mortality rates, resulting in many slaves losing their lives during the voyage.
4. Slaves were forcibly taken from their villages in Africa, and they did not have the option to stay in Africa once they were captured.
Therefore, based on the given options and the historical context of the Atlantic Slave trade, the correct answer is: "Many African slaves lost their lives on the voyage as a result of poor travel conditions."