Middle Passage
(1450 - 1750 please make this concise so I can use this to study for my exams, but also include important information just summarize it please your the best.)
The Middle Passage refers to the transatlantic slave trade that took place between the year 1450 and 1750. It involved the transportation of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas.
During this time, European powers, especially Portugal, Spain, England, and France, established colonies in the Americas and needed labor to exploit the rich resources found there. African slaves were forcibly captured, mostly from West Africa, and transported on ships across the treacherous and grueling journey known as the Middle Passage.
The conditions aboard the slave ships were extremely harsh, with enslaved Africans packed tightly together in inhumane conditions. They were often subjected to disease, malnutrition, and abuse during the voyage, resulting in high mortality rates. The death toll was believed to be around 15-25% of all the slaves transported.
The Middle Passage played a significant role in the development of the global economy during this period. Slavery and the forced labor of African slaves contributed to the profitability of European colonies in the Americas, particularly in the production of cash crops like sugar, tobacco, and cotton.
The Middle Passage also had profound social and cultural implications. It led to the forced migration and displacement of millions of Africans, disrupting traditional African societies and contributing to the formation of African diaspora communities in the Americas. The traumatic experiences endured during the Middle Passage and the institution of slavery have had lasting effects on the descendants of enslaved Africans, shaping their history, identity, and struggles for liberation over generations.