CHAPTER 6: Life in the 13 English Colonies "The Middle Passage"

Introduction
Students have read about the different colonial regions and how each had its own character. In this lesson, they will learn more about slavery, the Africans' journey to the colonies, and what they experienced when they arrived.

Lesson Description
Students will use information from the Juneteenth Web site to learn about slavery and African American Emancipation Day. They will view powerful images of the Middle Passage and other African experiences created by artist Tom Feelings. They will read the artist's explanation of his creative process and thinking. Finally, students will answer questions about what they have read and seen.

Instructional Objectives
1. Students will be able to discuss slavery and its brutal realities. 2. Students will be able to make the connection between visual images and historical experiences.

Student Web Activity Answers
1. Of the 30 to 60 million people who were transported, only one-third survived.
2. Ships left European ports, loaded their human cargo in West Africa, headed toward North America, South America and the Caribbean, and then returned to Europe loaded with goods from the colonies-a roughly triangular route.
3. The Amistad was a ship used for the slave trade. During one journey, the captured Africans rebelled and killed many of the ship's crew. Although charged with mutiny, the Africans were later acquitted in a colonial court.
4. Answers will vary: Human history is packed with examples of triumph in the face of tragedy. People channel their energy into creative pursuits, such as poetry, music, or dance. They look to religion. They unite and organize. They persevere and survive.

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