Analysis Of Alexander Falconbridge's An Account Of The Middle Passage

Alexander Falconbridge served as a surgeon on the ships that transported slaves through the middle passage. He managed to only make four voyages between 1780 and 1787 due to the harsh circumstances he was witnessing, which ultimately led him to write An Account of the Middle Passage. The Middle Passage was the hardest and most dangerous part of the voyage for any slave transported out of Africa. The article carefully describes the strenuous conditions the slaves were in while being in the ships. An analysis of Alexander Falconbridge’s An Account of the Middle Passage reveals how this surgeon’s perspective aided the progression of the abolition movement by showcasing a new perspective of the Middle Passage, and how his purpose was to inform the general public on how dreadful these

One of the stages of the triangular trade was transporting slaves from Africa to the New World. The slaves were abused during this process from the beginning. African dealers would kidnap people from their villages. Some victims who were captured and ultimately survived were then able to write about their experience being captured. Quobna Ottabah Cugoano, also known as John Stuart, wrote that the slavers attacked them with pistols and threatened to kill those who attempted to run away or did not comply with their commands. All the written perspectives from slaves correlate really well with Alexander Falconbridge’s document. More importantly, Alexander Falconbridge’s document allows the reader to attain a new perspective from someone who is simply watching the cruelty unfold, rather than from someone who experienced it all. This distinct perspective is very significant as there were not many people at the time who were strongly against slavery. After Alexander Falconbridge published this document, he gained momentum and support by other abolitionists who also found what the slaves were going through to be