Former Slavery Dbq Analysis

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Document E: Autobiography of a Former Slave is the most reliable source throughout this entire packet. This source was written by a slave, Olaudah Equiano, who was kidnapped at a young age by an African tribe and sold to European slave traders. In the excerpt, the former slave said “I was soon put down under the decks, and there I received such a smell in my nostrils as I had never experienced in my life,” this slave could not handle the smell he breathed. This explains to the reader that being so tightly together was a major problem, which caused diseases and infections. “I became so sick and low that I was not able to eat, nor had I the least desire to taste any thing.” This quote tells the reader that because of the horrible smells …show more content…

This source was written by a surgeon at the time during the Middle Passage. He was on the British slave ships during the 1780s. “The men negroes, on being brought abroad the ship, are immediately fastened together, two and two, by hand-cuffs on their wrists, and by iron riveted on their legs.” This quote gives us a general idea on how the slaves were put together and restrained through the voyages. “Their food is serve up to them in tubs, about the size of a small water bucket.” I do not understand why these people wanted the slaves to be strong and healthy, but had little amounts of food. According to the previous quote, the food wasn’t a big portion. In the document, it says the slaves were placed around the tubs in sets of tens. The doctor said if the negreos refused to eat, the members of the crew would put coals of fire to the lips. The slaves shouldn’t have to be punished to eat, if they didn’t want to in then that was their fought that they had missed out on their meal. “The floor of their rooms was so covered with blood and mucus because of the flux. . .” This quote tells the readers the conditions the slaves dealt with throughout the journey. The Middle Passage was a hard and inconvenient time

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