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Difficulty: EasyShipboard Rebellions and Middle Passage Resistance

Read the excerpt from the 1694 journal of Thomas Phillips, the captain of the slave ship *Hannibal*:

"They [the captives] are so wilful and loth to leave their own country, that they have often leap'd out of the canoes, boat, and ship, into the sea, and kept under water till they were drowned, to avoid being taken up and saved by our boats... choosing death rather than life with a prospect of misery..."

Which of the following conclusions about the Middle Passage is best supported by this excerpt?

  1. A
    Enslaved Africans were passive captives who only attempted to escape once they arrived on American plantations.
  2. Enslaved Africans actively resisted their captivity through self-determination and refusing to accept enslavement.Answer
  3. C
    Enslaved Africans only resisted their capture through organized, armed mutinies led by elite African leaders.
  4. D
    Enslaved Africans were easily controlled by ship crews once they were loaded onto transatlantic vessels.

Answer

Enslaved Africans actively resisted their captivity through self-determination and refusing to accept enslavement.
The correct answer is correct because Thomas Phillips's journal clearly describes captives jumping overboard to drown themselves rather than remaining enslaved, illustrating that captive Africans actively resisted and exercised agency during the Middle Passage.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the primary source excerpt for evidence of captive actions.
The captain describes captives jumping into the sea and drowning themselves to avoid being taken.
This establishes that the captives were taking direct action, even at the cost of their lives, to refuse enslavement.
2
Identify the historical concept represented by these actions.
The actions show agency and resistance to captivity during the Middle Passage.
This connects the source directly to the concept of Middle Passage resistance and counters the misconception of passive victimization.

Key Concept

Middle Passage Resistance and African Agency
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Shipboard Rebellions and Middle Passage Resistance

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