British Surgeon Describes The Treatment Of Slaves During The ✓ Solved

British Surgeon Describes The Treatment Of Slaves During The Middle P

British Surgeon Describes The Treatment Of Slaves During The Middle Passage (Excerpts) Alexander Falconbridge served as a surgeon aboard slave ships involved in the transatlantic trade, during which an estimated 12 million African slaves were imported to the New World. The long and perilous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean was known as the Middle Passage. In the following excerpts from his book An Account of The African Slave Trade on the Coast of Africa (1788), Falconbridge described the horrific conditions and the brutal treatment of slaves during the Middle Passage:

As soon as the wretched Africans, purchased at the fairs, fall into the hands of the black traders, they experience an earnest of those dreadful sufferings which they are doomed in future to undergo. And there is not the least room to doubt, but that even before they can reach the fairs, great numbers perish from cruel usage, want of food, travelling through inhospitable deserts, etc. They are brought from the places where they are purchased to Bonny, etc., in canoes; at the bottom of which they lie, having their hands tied with a kind of willow twigs, and a strict watch is kept over them.

Their usage during the passage, which generally lasts several days, is equally cruel. Their allowance of food is so scanty that it is barely sufficient to support nature. They are exposed to violent rains, being covered only with mats that afford slight defense, and water often collects at the bottom of the canoes, leaving them scarcely dry. These inhumane conditions, before they even reach the ship, frequently result in the death of many due to maltreatment and deprivation.

Once aboard the ships, their treatment does not improve. Male Negroes are immediately fastened together with handcuffs and irons riveted on their legs; they are placed in separate rooms—men, women, and boys—yet they are often packed so tightly that they can only lie on their sides, with little room to move or stand. The decks and compartments are arranged with platforms—shelves extending about eight or nine feet—that are used to stow slaves in a confined position, contributing further to their suffering.

The slaves are subjected to frequent misery, including the presence of buckets used for excretion, which are often too small and emptied infrequently, leading to quarrels, bruises, and foul conditions. Death and injury are common as slaves stumble, fall, or are injured while shackled and trying to reach these buckets. The ship's conditions foster disease, especially fevers and fluxes caused by foul air and unhealthy internal environments, leading to high mortality rates.

Falconbridge vividly describes the inhumane process of feeding and disciplining the slaves, highlighting the brutality inflicted on them to enforce compliance. They are fed twice a day with coarse foods like yams, rice, boiled beans, and sometimes small quantities of meat, served in large tubs that accommodate multiple slaves. Quarrels frequently erupt during meals, especially under short rations, further exacerbating the slaves’ miserable existence.

Water is scarce, provided only in small quantities, half a pint per meal, and sometimes threats or violent measures—such as scorching with hot coals or pouring melted lead—are used to coerce slaves into eating when they refuse. Exercise is enforced according to the ship's conditions—slaves are sometimes made to dance, and those who resist are flogged under the supervision of crew members wielding whips. Music, singing, and beads are used for brief diversion, but quarreling over possessions of beads often leads to further distress and violence.

Falconbridge discusses the mental and emotional suffering of the slaves, particularly women, who often become raving mad or commit suicide, as well as the physical suffering due to seasickness, overcrowded conditions, and the absence of fresh air. The indoor conditions are so oppressive that the slaves suffer from fevers, fluxes, and exhaustion, which frequently result in death. The deprivation of fresh air is a critical factor contributing to their deteriorating health; ships are equipped with limited air-ports which are often closed during storms, leading to suffocating and contaminated internal environments.

The deplorable conditions extend to the ship's facilities used to contain the sick and dying. Falconbridge notes the horrifying scene of dying slaves, the blood and mucus on the decks from fluxes, and the suffering caused by the friction and injury due to the ship's constant movement. The treatment of the sick is brutal, often hurried, and largely ineffective, with many succumbing to disease aboard the ships.

The ships are typically crowded, with space regulations disregarded due to greed—captains and owners prioritize profit over human life. Falconbridge describes how the entire crew's greed results in overcrowding, which causes immense pain and suffering. The sick and weak are often placed in the hold, lying directly on the bare planks, and subjected to neglect and brutal treatments. The suffering encompasses physical injuries, disease, and mental trauma, emphasizing the inhumane nature of the slave trade.

Falconbridge documents the mental state of the enslaved Africans, noting their attachment to their homeland and their desire for liberty. Many exhibit signs of madness, despair, and longing for their native land, with some attempting escape or self-harm by drowning. Their suffering underscores the brutal moral depravity of the slave trade, which commodifies human beings and subjects them to unimaginable cruelty, dehumanization, and despair.

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The transatlantic slave trade was one of the most brutal chapters in human history, characterized by extreme cruelty and systematic dehumanization. Alexander Falconbridge, a surgeon involved in the slave trade and author of An Account of The African Slave Trade on the Coast of Africa (1788), provides an eyewitness account of the harrowing conditions endured by enslaved Africans during the Middle Passage. His detailed descriptions reveal not only the physical torment inflicted upon them but also the profound emotional and psychological trauma they experienced, raising urgent ethical and moral questions about this reprehensible trade.

Falconbridge’s narratives portray the Middle Passage as a process marked by violence, neglect, and greed. Africans captured in their homeland were often purchased at fairs and then transported in canoes under appalling conditions, with many dying en route due to maltreatment, starvation, and harsh environments. Once aboard the ships, their suffering intensified. Shackled in pairs, confined to crowded, poorly ventilated spaces, and subjected to brutal discipline, the slaves endured a level of physical and emotional torture that defies human comprehension.

The physical environment was intentionally designed to maximize profit at the expense of the slaves' well-being. The use of cramped quarters, small buckets for excretion, and minimal provision of food and water created an environment ripe for disease and suffering. The condition of the slaves’ health deteriorated rapidly, with fevers, fluxes, and other deadly illnesses claiming countless lives during the voyage. Falconbridge vividly describes the scene of blood and mucus on the decks, the motion of the ships causing flesh to rub painfully against the planks, and the neglect of the sick, leading to high mortality rates.

Moreover, Falconbridge highlights the cruelty in the methods used to enforce compliance and ensure the slaves' survival. Force, threats, and violence—such as scorching with hot coals or pouring molten lead—were used to compel eating, while flogging was routine for those who resisted exercise or behaved defiantly. These brutal practices reflect the inhumane attitude of the traders, who viewed enslaved humans as commodities rather than as individuals deserving compassion or humane treatment.

The emotional distress inflicted on the enslaved was equally profound. Many slaves exhibited signs of mental breakdown, some turning violent or attempting to end their suffering through suicide or fleeing overboard. The physical and psychological trauma was exacerbated by the complete absence of fresh air and sunlight, with ships sealing hatches and covering air-ports to prevent storms, leading to suffocating internal environments that fostered disease and death.

Falconbridge’s account also emphasizes the tragic loss of hope and attachment to homeland among the slaves. Some slaves, overcome by despair and longing for Africa, would try to drown themselves or consume dirt from their native soil, seeking solace in memories of their origins. Such acts underscored their deep sense of loss and the tragic impossibility of escape from the brutality of the trade.

In conclusion, Alexander Falconbridge’s detailed eyewitness account exposes the unimaginable horrors of the Middle Passage. His descriptions serve as a powerful moral indictment of the inhumanity of the slave trade and as a call for its abolition. The extreme suffering—from brutal physical conditions, inhumane treatment, to the emotional destruction—points decisively to the need for ending this barbaric practice and recognizing the fundamental humanity of enslaved people. These harrowing testimonies continue to remind us of the importance of human rights and the moral imperative to condemn such systemic cruelty.

References

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