Middle Passage Parliamentary Inquiry

Middle Passage: Parliamentary Investigation:

Introduction:

It may seem extraordinary today but, just less than 200 years ago, many people throughout Europe, Africa and the Americas saw nothing wrong in the idea that one human being could own another. The ‘owned' person or ‘slave' had no rights. In this exercise, you will read through a few documents giving testimony both in favor and against the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, and you will read a summary of both pro-slavery and anti-slavery arguments. You will then prepare a short speech to present before Parliament that will present the opinions of British citizens at that time about slavery.

Process:

1. Download and read the Middle Passage Document Exercise

2. Click here to read “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano”

3. Click here to read about the arguments for slavery from the British perspective in the 18th century

4. Click here to read about Rose Davis, an indentured servant condemned to a lifetime of slavery after a court order

5. Fill out the Middle Passage Parliamentary Inquiry Worksheet (download it here)