Question

During the 17th century, the rights of African indentured servants were revoked as slavery became legal in the British colonies. In 1660, King Charles II granted the Royal African Company a charter to traffic humans from Africa to the Americas. The route used by such companies became known as the triangular slave trade. Slave ships from England carried goods like cloth, guns, and ironware to the West African coast. There they would trade these goods for men, women, and children, who were transported to the Caribbean or the Americas. This leg of the trip, the second of the three, was known as the Middle Passage. During the months-long journey, kidnapped Africans were subject to horrific conditions. They were chained and forced into filthy, overcrowded spaces below deck without enough room to stand. Disease spread quickly, and death was common. Upon arrival to port, enslaved Africans were sold to the highest bidder at slave auctions. The final leg of the triangle was the exportation of crops like tobacco and cotton from the Americas to Europe as a result of labor by enslaved people.

Which of the following best describes the Middle Passage?

A

The first leg of the triangular slave trade in which companies brought goods to Africa

B

The second leg of the triangular slave trade in which kidnapped Africans were brought from Africa to the Americas

C

The final leg of the triangular slave trade in which American cotton and tobacco was shipped to Europe

D

The route companies took from African ports to villages to trade goods for humans.

Answer 1

The option that best describes the Middle Passage is:

**B** The second leg of the triangular slave trade in which kidnapped Africans were brought from Africa to the Americas.