Alexander Falconbridge’s Account of the Slave Trade

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Alexander Falconbridge’s Account of the Slave Trade
For my essay, I have chosen to discuss Category 2 source number 3 “An account to slave trade” which was written by Alexander Falconbridge, a British surgeon who was part of four voyages in slave ships. “An account to slave trade” was written as a way to educate the world the manner in which slaves were treated and the hardships they went through during transportation. He also wanted the slaves to learn about their origins and the reason why most of them did not survive.
The source explains the way in which purchasers and the captains acquired slaves. Some voyagers would purchase more slaves than their ships could accommodate which then led to deaths of most of these slaves due to harsh living conditions. The source explains that the slaves were separated into three groups which were women, men, and the children. They then were chained in twos and locked up in small apartments in the decks underneath. Their diet included boiled horse beans, rice, yams and at times a piece of pork or beef (PBS, 1). During harsh weather, the decks were closed, and the slaves lacked fresh air leading to the atmosphere becoming very hot. Most slaves suffered from fevers and flues and died and for those who survived they were taken above deck and received treatment. The source also explains that the slaves were inspected for weaknesses and deformities before been taken on board and those that did not qualify were beheaded in front of the ship’s captain.

In conclusion, “An account to slave trade” gives a better understanding of the slave trade as the source was a witness to the conditions they were living in during transportation. The passage is also relevant as it gives the world a picture of the suffering the slaves went through and the long way they have come to fit in the current world.

Work Cited
PBS, “Alexander Falconbridge’s account of the slave trade.” Africans in America, PBS online, 2017, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h281t.html