"The crew used to watch very closely those of us who were not chained down to the decks, lest we should leap into the water: I have seen some of these poor African prisoners most severely cut for attempting to do so, and hourly whipped for not eating. This indeed was often the case with myself..."

Question

"The crew used to watch very closely those of us who were not chained down to the decks, lest we should leap into the water: I have seen some of these poor African prisoners most severely cut for attempting to do so, and hourly whipped for not eating. This indeed was often the case with myself..."

Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of The Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, 1789

The above quote is most likely a Primary Source from a person describing their own experience...

Oregon Trail

Silk Road

Circumnavigating

Middle Passage

Answer 1

The above quote is most likely a Primary Source from a person describing their own experience during the Middle Passage. The Middle Passage refers to the horrific journey endured by African slaves who were transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade.