SOURCES:
#1-http://4thebest4e.tripod.com/id15.html
#2-http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASships.htm
#3-http://www.melfisher.org/exhibitions/lastslaveships/slaveships.htm
#4-http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2956.html
#5-http://www.bristolandslavery.4t.com/auctions.htm
#6-http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0212661/id19.
#7-http://www.historyonthenet.com/Slave_Trade/middle_passage.htm
The slaves on the slave ships were treated "as a cargo of livestock"(#3).Even though the conditions on the slave ships were horrible, 4 out of 5 Africans, on average, survived the journey(#3).They were treated as if they were not human(#5). Slaves were treated as property(#4). The sailors didn't give them much food to eat, because they thought food was expensive to buy so they bought as little as possible(#1).When the Africans were taken aboard the ship, they were frightened, because they thought that the White people would eat them(#6). They would even whip and beat the slaves if they did anything wrong. There was not much fresh air to breathe(#2). There was a lot of disease going around the slave ships so a lot of Africans died(#1).Disease was spread easily on the ships because of poor hygiene(#1). They were packed together so it was very very crowded(#1).The Africans didn't have much space to move around(#1). The Africans were chained so they could not move at all because of this reason, the slave ships turned into "a stinking mass of human waste"(#7).To many Africans on slave ships, death was more preferable than life(#1).Some of them tried to die by starving themselves(#7).But if the slaves chose not to eat, they would force them to eat, they would even be whipped for not eating (#7). Some tried to die by jumping overboard and basically committing suicide(#7).They also believed that when you die, you go back to your family and friends(#1).When an African died on a slave ship, they would just throw them aboard(#6).The slave ships would usually take the Africans from Africa to the West Indies or North America(#2).They would chain the slaves on the ankle and on the wrist(#1).They would even auction off the slaves(#5). The healthy slaves would be worth more than the weak ones(#5).
I remember going for a walk in a park and watching little kids play together. Then I thought about my childhood and how much things have changed now.I thought about the park, there used to be swings in that park too, but now there are only slides. Then I thought about the things I used to do then. Then I thought about how much innocent we all were as kids. Then I saw a person playing badminton over there then I thought to myself that I hadn't played badminton for a long time, and I would play this weekend. Then I thought about how much I used to play badminton when I was a child. I remember I used to play every weekend. I remember how fun it used to be. I remember I would go after breakfast and play for like 2-3 hours.Then I thought about how much HW I have now and how much more busy I am than in the past. But it's ok, I told myself. Then I went back home and watched some TV. Then I thought about the TV program I just watched. I thought about what happened on the TV show. Then I started thinking about the movie stars. Then i started thinking about movie awards. I remembered it was fun to watch.And I enjoyed it a lot. Then I thought about the people that won.I thought some of them deserved to win, but some of them didn't really deserve to win but they won anyways.
