Discussion Post: World Perspective
Examine the Atlantic Slave Trade in further detail through the experiences of the slaves. First, watch the documentary (A Terrible Transformation, link below) that outlines the establishment of slavery in the North American context. You should then the read primary sources from both European and African perspectives. You will encounter Olaudah Equiano in both contexts. These sources will help provide even greater context for understanding how slavery was central to the formation of new societies in the Western Hemisphere, particularly North America.
Read each of the primary source readings, and then answer the questions in the Primary Source Assignment doc. These sources describe the experience of Africans being captured, transported, and sold into slavery. They are not pleasant reading, but require our attention to better understand the realities of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
Use some quotes from the sources to help support your answers.
Make sure that you answer each part of the question.
• In what context are Africans captured in Africa to be put into slavery? Who is involved in this process? What is the experience of this process like?
• What is the Middle Passage? What is that experience like? How does it differ from the slaves' captivity in Africa?
• How do the reports by white Europeans (excerpts 1 and 4) differ from those of Olaudah Equiano? Is there a reason to trust one of these viewpoints over the others?
• While these sources all reveal the barbarity of the slave trade, the trade itself was established in order to make money. What parts of these narratives give us insight into the economy of the Atlantic slave trade? What larger understanding about the economy of the Atlantic slave trade do we gain by reading these sources?
The response must include a reference list. Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.