In his 1735 account, *A Voyage to Guinea, Brasil, and the West-Indies*, English surgeon John Atkins observed the behavior of captured Africans aboard slave ships:
"They [the captives] are generally very sullen, and will refuse their food, or attempt their own lives, to free themselves from their misery; they also frequently plot insurrections, which are sometimes successful, to the destruction of the ship’s crew."
Which of the following historical conclusions is best supported by Atkins’s observations of captive behavior during the Middle Passage?
- AShipboard rebellions succeeded primarily because all captives on a given vessel shared a uniform language and ethnic identity.
- BMiddle Passage resistance was limited to armed mutinies, as individual actions like refusing food did not disrupt the operations of slave ships.
- Enslaved Africans engaged in multiple forms of resistance, ranging from collective mutinies to individual acts of self-determination like hunger strikes.Answer
- DCaptives rarely attempted resistance unless prompted by the sympathetic actions of crew members, reflecting their general submission to their status.
Answer
Enslaved Africans engaged in multiple forms of resistance, ranging from collective mutinies to individual acts of self-determination like hunger strikes.
The correct answer is supported by the passage, which outlines both individual acts of defiance (refusing food) and collective attempts at liberation (insurrections). These actions demonstrate that captives were active agents who employed varied strategies to resist their enslavement during the Middle Passage.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Middle Passage Resistance and Captive Agency
Estimated Time:1m 30s