Historical Analysis Questions for The Middle Passage Document Set

Historical Analysis Questions for The Middle Passage Document Set

Background Reading 1

1. Explain what drove the European interest in slaves from Africa. Be detailed.

Mortality Chart

2. How did the chart’s author determine the mortality rate of each voyage?

3. What factors do you think might make a mortality rate higher or lower on a voyage?

4. Why might the ship Nancy have had a mortality rate of 100%?

Background Reading 2

5. What were the causes of slave deaths aboard the slave ships? List at least 4 causes of death.

6. Do you think the crews on the slave ships wanted to hurt the slaves? Why or why not?

7. List at least 3 things that would prompt the crew to kill a slave.

“Space on the slave decks” by Alexander Falconbridge

8. Why did the slaves have to lie only on their sides?

9. Why were European slavers packing the slaves so tightly together?

Food

10. What would happen to slaves who refused to eat? Why do you think they tortured slaves who did not want to eat?

Ventilation of the ships

11. How did Alexander Falconbridge attribute poor weather to an increase in disease?

12. Why did the interior of the slave ship look like “a slaughter-house”?

“Jumping Overboard” – Olaudah Equiano

13. Why do you think some slaves wanted to jump overboard?

14. What did the sailors do to the slave who they rescued from drowning? Why do you think they did that to him?