The Middle Passage

Gr 9 Up—This work shows the horrific journey that either delivered people to slavery or ended their lives. Referencing the transatlantic trade of kidnapped and enslaved African people to the New World in the title, Aretha paints a vivid portrait of the harrowing journeys that the captured people were forced to endure. Making good use of primary sources, he details the origins of the slave trade by discussing the historical use of slavery, describing the relationship between Africans and Europeans, and through first-person accounts. With a compelling format, the author illustrates the dehumanizing conditions and treatment suffered by enslaved Africans during their passage to the New World while explaining the details of the economics that drove investors, captains, and crews to participate in these savage acts. In addressing how the transatlantic slave trade impacted individuals and the world economy, Aretha has shed light on an aspect of slavery that is often the least detailed in current accounts. An excellent academic resource for high school students, this text would pair nicely with Tom Feelings's The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo (Dial, 1995) for additional emotional impact.—Amanda Augsburger, Moline Public Library, IL