In Search of History
Ship of Slaves: The Middle Passage
This one hour documentary traces the history of slavery in the Old World, and the development of the transatlantic slave trade. Focusing on the impact of the slave trade on Western Africa and the horrendous conditions on board ship during the “Middle Passage”, brings insightful scholarship and compelling visual imagery into your classroom. The use of primary source material in the narrative makes this program especially powerful. Ship of Slaves: The Middle Passage will be useful in classes on European history, American history, African history, language arts, geography, and social studies. Recommended for middle school and high school students.
Discussion Questions
-
How long has slavery existed? Name some ancient cultures that used slaves. Where did the slaves come from?
-
What inspired Europeans to explore the west coast of Africa? How did this influence the development of the slave trade?
-
How did African leaders work with European slave-traders? What did the Europeans have that the African leaders wanted? What role did technology play ? How did this effect the balance of power in the interior of Africa?
-
One historian says that the most significant impact of the slave trade was the “psychological impact.” Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?
-
What were the “Points of No Return ?” Describe the living conditions there.
-
There were many aspects of the slave trade that terrified the captives. Some were real, some were imaginary. Describe these fears. Does the fact that some were not real make them any less terrifying?
-
What were conditions like on the slave ships? What percentage of the slaves died on board? Explain the high rate of suicide.
-
Captive Africans resisted slavery from the moment they were first captured through their arrival and existence on plantations in the New World. Describe some of the ways they resisted. What does “mutiny” mean? What part did mutinies play in the slave trade?
-
How were slaves treated in the markets once they arrived in the New World ? What do you suppose was the most humiliating aspect of being sold as a slave?
-
What did these captive Africans bring to the New World? How did they help build the economy of America?
Extended Activities
-
Imagine you are an African boy or girl who is captured by slave-traders and taken from your family. Write a journal about your experiences. You may focus on events from your time of capture to when you reach the coast of Africa, your life on a slave ship, or your arrival in the New World.
-
Create a map on a poster board showing the west coast of Africa, the Atlantic, and the Americas. With colored markers or crayons, indicate the routes of the ships that were involved in the slave trade. Show the major ports from which the slaves departed, and the major ports in the New World where they arrived. Remember to include a key to your map.
-
After viewing this documentary, see the movie, “Amistad.” How did seeing the documentary help you understand some of the events in the movie? During class time, discuss why you think Steven Spielberg decided to produce a movie like “Amistad?”
Related Videos
Air Dates
