Middle Passage

By Deane Barker • •

During the 1700s and early 1800s, slaves were transported from their homes in Africa to plantations in the American south in three phases, or “passages.”

  1. The First Passage was overland from their homes in the African interior to ports on the West African coast
  2. The Middle Passage was the trip across the Atlantic on slave ships to the East Coast of America, a trip lasting approximately 80 days
  3. The Final or Third Passage was trip from the East Coast to an inland plantation

The Middle Passage was known for its’ horrible conditions, during which many slaves died en route.

Why I Looked It Up

In a history book, I found this:

No less than 10 million Africans landed in the Americas during the era of the slave trade. Another 2 million died in the infamous Middle Passage en route to the New World.

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