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PS Reading Questions Atlantic Slave Trade

The documents provide various perspectives on the Middle Passage, highlighting biases from different authors, including a Portuguese textbook, a slave ship captain, a ship doctor, a diagram, and an autobiography of a former slave. Each document reflects the authors' backgrounds and experiences, influencing their portrayal of the slave trade and the conditions aboard slave ships. The accounts vary in reliability, with some offering insights into the experiences of slaves and others focusing on the perspectives of white individuals involved in the trade.

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cobalteagle.n.223
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35 views3 pages

PS Reading Questions Atlantic Slave Trade

The documents provide various perspectives on the Middle Passage, highlighting biases from different authors, including a Portuguese textbook, a slave ship captain, a ship doctor, a diagram, and an autobiography of a former slave. Each document reflects the authors' backgrounds and experiences, influencing their portrayal of the slave trade and the conditions aboard slave ships. The accounts vary in reliability, with some offering insights into the experiences of slaves and others focusing on the perspectives of white individuals involved in the trade.

Uploaded by

cobalteagle.n.223
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Document A: Portuguese Textbook

1. (Sourcing) Where was this textbook written? How might this have influenced how it portrayed
the Middle Passage?
Portugal, might have more bias for the whites in this situation

2. (Close reading) According to the textbook, “The time between the moment the slaves were
bought and when they arrived at port was very dangerous not only for the European traders but
for the slaves as well.” Why might the textbook’s authors have chosen to compare the
experience of the ship’s crew to the experience of the slaves?
They made it sound like the slaves would try and fight back

3. (Close reading) Why do you think the textbook used the word “migrations” to describe the
Atlantic slave trade?

Document B: Slave Ship Captain


1. (Sourcing) Who was Phillips? How might his background have influenced what he wrote
about the Middle Passage?
Most likely a captain of a slave ship, extreme bias to the whites

2. (Close reading) According to Phillips, what did the ship’s crew do for the slaves?
Clean up after their messes

3. (Close reading) According to Phillips, why was being a slave trader such an unpleasant job?
The stench of the slaves and generally just how filthy they are
Document C: Slave Ship Doctor
1. (Sourcing) Who was Falconbridge? How might his background have influenced what he
wrote about the Middle Passage?
A white man apart of the crew of the ship, his bias would sway to be better sided with the whites

2. (Close reading) How might the conditions on the ship have been connected to the diseases
that were so common among slaves?
They didn’t have proper medicine to combat illness

3. (Close reading) Why do you think Falconbridge said that most surgeons only worked on slave
ships because of their financial situations?
Lots of people would pay up, but the stench was a downside of working there

Document D: Slave Ship Diagram


1. (Sourcing) Why was this diagram produced?
So people knew what it looked like inside, and also a rough diagram if more ships were needed

Document E: Autobiography of a Former Slave


1. (Sourcing) Who was Equiano? How might his background have influenced what he wrote
about the Middle Passage?
Former slave, bias to the blacks

2. (Close reading) Why do you think slaves were punished for not eating?
They had to be healthy
How did people experience the Middle Passage?
Document Corroboration Reliability
How is this account similar or Why might this be a reliable
different from other source to understand the
documents? Middle Passage?
Why or Why not?
It’s not similar to the others as So they could get a brief
much rundown of the middle passage
A. Portuguese Textbook

It’s similar to C So they could get perspectives of


multiple people that piloted
B. Slave Ship Captain ships

It’s similar to B So they could get perspectives of


multiple people that piloted
C. Slave Ship Doctor ships

Not similar It’s reliable because it was an


insight to what a ship looked like
D. Slave Ship Diagram

Not similar Reliable because people could


read what the slaves would’ve
E. Autobiography of a former experienced
slave

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