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The Middle Passage
== The Middle Passage was part of the Triangular Trade route used by merchants to trade slaves from Africa to Europe and the Americas during the 15th through 18th century. The slaves were treated very harshly by first being taken from their home land and tightly packed on slave ships. The Middle Passage was a very nasty and disgusting fact of life for these slaves. == == The journey of the middle passage was part of the triangular trade. The triangular trade route was a trade route located on the Atlantic Ocean. The triangular route had one point towards Europe, one towards Eastern American, and one towards West Africa. The general diagram was that America would export sugar, tobacco, and cotton the Europe. Then Europe would export of fish, lumber, and other goods the West Indies. Then the West Indies exported rum made from dark brown syrup from sugar cane, guns, gunpowder, and tools to West Africa. West Africa would then trade slaves to the West Indies where they could be sold to the Americas. (3rd Source) ==

== During the journey along the Middle Passage which w as the longest of the Triangular Trade route, slaves were carried below the deck of the ship where conditions were virtually uninhabitable. The slaves were fed food that was more times than not contaminated and given water that was also contaminated and caused illness. Because of these horrendous conditions, the mortality rate for these journeys across the ocean was a staggering 12%. Because of this awful mortality rate, as the slave trade along the middle passage continued, slave traders would try to stuff as many slaves as they could carry along the bottom of their ships. Also an interesting fact is that, slaves were allowed a short while above the deck of the ship for exercise. As the slaves were exercising it was not uncommon for This was not because slave traders were caring but they realized that the circulation of the slaves’ bodies were bad because of sitting around bunched up together for 23 hours a day in chains.(Maritime) == ==While being held captive below the deck of the ship, slaves were shackled and restrained with iron shackles. The bottom of the ships often consisted of only five feet of head room. Also for most of the deck sleeping shelves cut this already small amount of head room in half.(PBS) Because of this lack of room below deck, ventilation was a major problem. As anyone could imagine, the smells down below deck were atrocious. In addition to that, there was virtually zero sanitation below deck.(Maritime)Just the conditions below deck alone would cause slaves to drop like flies. ==

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== After a while, slave traders realized the effect the conditions the slaves were condemned to were impacting their market price, so slave traders would lighten the conditions of the slaves slightly before their 3,700 mile voyage was over. After having to sell many weak slaves for a reduced price, they began to feed the slaves better and have more and/or better exercise before their arrival to their “New Hell Home.” Even though this may seem like the better time of the journey, it often was not. To improve their market price, slaves would be poured with oil to make their skin shiny. Also any imperfections such as scars from whipping would be filled with hot tar.(Maritime) ==

==The Middle Passage was a very bad but also very real memory of our history. The conditions in which these slaves were transported were horrendous. We must remember that actual people went through this hell on earth and lived through it just to be sold into slavery. ==

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