Olaudah Equiano's Account of the Middle Passage

Olaudah Equiano Describes the Middle Passage

• Context: Olaudah Equiano's 1789 account details the horrific transatlantic slave trade, known as the Middle Passage; Equiano later purchased his freedom and became an abolitionist.
• Ship Conditions:
  • Extreme stench, heat, and overcrowding below deck led to widespread sickness and death.
  • Chains, filth from 'necessary tubs' (often resulting in children near suffocation), and constant groans contributed to an 'inconceivable scene of horror'.
  • Lack of fresh air caused frequent near-suffocation.
• Cruelty and Desperation:
  • White crew denied food (fish) to starving enslaved people, even after begged, tossing leftovers into the sea.
  • Attempts to secretly procure food resulted in severe floggings.
  • Some enslaved individuals, preferring death to misery, committed suicide by jumping overboard; others were prevented and brutally flogged for attempts.
• Equiano's Observations:
  • Due to youth and illness, Equiano was occasionally allowed on deck and not always fettered.
  • He observed flying fish and the use of a quadrant by mariners, initially perceiving it as magic or an 'another world' experience.
• Arrival: The ship eventually arrived in sight of the island of Barbados.