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I think the most reliable source of the three from the information about the Middle Passage was from the former slave, Olaudah Equiana. Since he was a West African and sold into slavery, he had first hand experience with what the Middle Passage was like. He talked about the awful conditions like horrible stenches that were below deck, he also talked about the horrible conditions getting to the boat and after. Equiana even says that he would have preferred the slavery that we was into before the Middle Passage. The slave doctor will have a much more biased account because they get payed to treat the slaves, but he has not incentive to tell the truth about the actual conditions of the horrible ships. As well as the slave ship captain who has a very obvious intention in the slave trade, so his testimony should be kept under great scrutiny.

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Middle Passage Reading- Collette McCourt

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Middle Passage Reading- Collette McCourt

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The most reliable source of information about the Middle Passage that I found would be the passage from Olaudah Equiano. Equiano was a former slave born in West Africa and kidnapped at the age of eleven. He was thrown aboard a slave ship and sold to European slave traders. He wrote about his  experience's throughout his awful journey. “So that, with the loathsomeness of the stench, and crying together, I became so sick and low that I was not able to eat, nor had I the least desire to taste anything. I now wished for the last friend, death, to relieve me;” Equiano describes here that just the stench itself from all the slaves crammed on the ship made him sick to his stomach to the point of losing his appetite. He then feels as if there would be no way out and wishes for death to “relieve” him. Many slaves tried to jump off the deck to avoid punishments from the white’s, as Equiano witnessed some of the punishments he began to fear them even more. In the end Equiano was lucky enough to buy his own freedom which doesn’t excuse the life he was put through, but he was one of the luckier slaves. He was considered very intelligent and gives us a great insight on what truly happened during the Middle Passage.

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I believe that the captain would be the most reliable source, because everyone answers to the captain, so he’s getting information from the doctors, and crew members. He speaks about how the slaves don’t spread it toward the crew. And that some have gotten better “All the assistance we gave the diseased was only as much water as they

desir’d to drink, and some palm-oil to anoiunt their sores, and they would generally

recover without any other helps but what kind nature gave them.”

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The most reliable source of information about the Middle Passage that I found would be from the former slave, Olaudah Equiano. Equiano was born in West Africa and then kidnapped as a young boy and sold to European slave traders. Equiano experienced the terrible, horrendous living conditions the slaves lived with under the deck, he said and I quote, "I was soon put down under the decks, and there I received such a salutation in my nostrils as I had never experienced in my life I became so sick and low that I was not able to eat, nor had I the least desire to taste anything." The stench of the living atmosphere below deck resulted in Equiano losing his desire to eat anything due to the filth of the boat. Equiano experienced the white men beating the slaves who refused to eat. Some of the slaves tried to jump off the deck in order to avoid the punishment. As Equiano watching the white people punishing the slaves with harsh actions, he was scared for his life. Alexander Falconbridge worked on British slave ships so he could have provided biased commentary since he was working under slave companies. Captain Thomas Phillips' account is least likely to be a reliable source about the Middle Passage because his job was to transport the captured slaves and he did not experience the harsh living conditions that the slaves endured.

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The most reliable source of information about the Middle Passage that I found would be from the former slave, Olaudah Equiano. Equiano was born in West Africa and then kidnapped as a young boy and sold to European slave traders. Equiano experienced the terrible, horrendous living conditions the slaves lived with under the deck, he said and I quote, "I was soon put down under the decks, and there I received such a salutation in my nostrils as I had never experienced in my life I became so sick and low that I was not able to eat, nor had I the least desire to taste anything." The stench of the living atmosphere below deck resulted in Equiano losing his desire to eat anything due to the filth of the boat. Equiano experienced the white men beating the slaves who refused to eat. Some of the slaves tried to jump off the deck in order to avoid the punishment. As Equiano watching the white people punishing the slaves with harsh actions, he was scared for his life. Alexander Falconbridge worked on British slave ships so he could have provided biased commentary since he was working under slave companies. Captain Thomas Phillips' account is least likely to be a reliable source about the Middle Passage because his job was to transport the captured slaves and he did not experience the harsh living conditions that the slaves endured.

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From the passages, I believe the most reliable source was the Slave ship doctors. Alexander Falconridge was a surgeon on ships that transferred these soon to be slaves. He was able to remember everything almost exactly to which he talks about the slave conditions on the ship, speaking about the space between each slave, the separation of genders, and other children that were present. With this, I believe he was credible due to the detail he saw along with him seeing everything happening. He also explains how he was on multiple voyages which he could compare along the way. He was able to remember basically everything, even saying that they were fed at 8pm and 4pm. We also know he was not very biased against the slaves as he acknowledges the hardships of the slaves as well.

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Jevon Burciaga
The most reliable source for information regarding the middle passage would have come from the  captain who was aboard the ship. His testimony is good when trying to see what life was like on the journey, but not a very good perspective if you want to look at the way the slaves felt. This is because the captain could only witness what sickness was terrorizing the slaves. In his own words he said that the white men were unaffected by the illness. So from his point of view he only had to endure the loss of his crew and of his cargo.

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The most reliable source for information about the middle passage would be the autobiography by the slave Olaudah Equiano. Olaudah Equiano had first hand experience and went through a hard time during the middle passage. He is the most reliable source because he was a slave during the hardest times and lived through it and he told his story. He tells us about what he went through and how he was treated in his autobiography. He went to living terribly to making a living for himself after he got his freedom.

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The most reliable source to use out of the three documents given is the passage about the former slave Olaudah Equiano. As a child a fellow African sold him to a white man to be shipped on a boat to the Americas. The conditions that he experienced were atrocious with tight spaces with the great mass of slaves compacted into one small area. There was a furnace close to him scorching heat throughout the ship. The slaves would try to escape through many different ways one of them being jumping off the ship, which then is basically suicide and they knew it was, and they just did not want to be slaves for the white men in America. They would get beaten for not eating or following directions. It was ironic because the men claimed to be Catholic, but the way they were treating the men was terrible and they were hippocrites. They did this although because they did not see them as people, but as property. This traumatic event will stay with him for the rest of his life and he knows every little detail about what happened.

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Middle Passage Readings - Berkan Dokmeci

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Middle Passage Readings - Berkan Dokmeci

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I believe the best account on the Middle Passage was by the Slave Ship Doctor. The details and description that the Doctor gives is very well said and he can recall everything almost verbatim. He talks about the space between each slave and the separation of the genders and children on the boats. The doctor also mentions the quarrels and accidents that frequently occur due to the shackles on the slaves. The immense attention to details and description that the Doctor talks about in the passage first of all shows credibility that he saw a lot of the events that happened on the ships and he could see everything that was happening (basically all the events he encountered). Unlike one slave, which usually goes on only one or two voyages, the doctor was on many voyages and encountered several scenarios of the slaves being mistreated and the journey.

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Middle Passage Readings - Emily Millican

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Middle Passage Readings - Emily Millican

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I think that the most reliable source of information comes from the autobiography of a former slave. In this document, he shares his personal experiences and the hardships he had to go through on the Middle Passage journey. He is the most reliable source because he actually had to witness and deal with the pain and tragedies that occurred. Also, we know that this is a true and accurate representation of the events that happened because the former slave has no reason to sugar-coat anything or lie about what he experienced. Although this document doesn't have as much data as the others provided, it is more reliable because it comes from someone who experienced first-hand,  the Middle Passage. The ship captain and the doctor were involved in the Middle Passage by choice, they weren't forced into it. Therefore, their accounts might be more on the biased side since they didn't fully experience all that Olaudah Equiano did.

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Middle Passage Readings - Christina Shou

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Middle Passage Readings - Christina Shou

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The most reliable source of information comes from the account of the slave ship doctor. Both the slave ship captain and slave accounts have bias, while the account from Alexander Falconbridge has the least amount of bias. Captain Thomas Phillips has a good reason to make his and his crew’s reputation as positive as it can be, thus he only brings up natural causes of death for the African Americans. This includes the small pox, but he doesn’t mention the cruel treatment of the slaves to cover up for all the horrible actions taken against them. Olaudah Equiano was said to be quite young during the time of the Middle Passage, and thus his memories could be affected, as well as the already strong connection of hatred for whites. Alexander Falconbridge is a non-biased source because he isn’t inclined towards the white sailors or the slaves. He tells the story of what happened accurately and includes qualitative information that makes his account seem less emotional and more based on factual evidence.

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I believe the most reliable source of information throughout the three documents is the Autobiography of The Former Slave. The Former Slave explains his own personal experience throughout his journeys and how awful they truly were. mind. " I inquired of these what was to be done with us; they gave me to understand we were to be carried to these white people’s country to work for them. I then was a little revived, and thought, if it were no worse than working, my situation was not so desperate; but still I feared I should be put to death, the white people looked and acted as thought, in so savaged a manner." The slave provides a more personal view and more reliable due to the fact that he was personally himself put through it. The Ship Captain as well as the Doctor were put into these situations willingly and with a drive of rewards or payment. There viewpoints may be a bit more biased due to the fact that they did not fully experience the awful events brought upon the slaves. "No gold-finders can endure so much noisome slavery as they do who carry Negroes; for those have some respite and satisfaction, but we endure twice the misery;
and yet by their mortality our voyages are ruined, and we pine and fret ourselves to death, and take so much pain to so little purpose." Both the Doctor and The Ship Captain believe they suffered the same struggles as the black Americans which is not true at all. They weren't treated as badly and beaten as badly as the Black Americans. The Slave explains many of these terrible events that were brought upon them such as the beating and starvation's and plagues that were brought upon them."One white man in particular I saw, when we were permitted to be on deck, flogged so unmercifully
with a large rope near the foremast, that he died in consequence of it; and they tossed him over the side as they would have done a brute. This made me fear these people." The slave provides a more down to earth viewpoint. It provides the best information due to the facts that the Slave was actually put through these awful and harsh events which was one of the main factors of The Middle Passage.

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Out of the three documents, the autobiography of a former slave is the most reliable source of information about the Middle Passage. Although the slave ship captain and the doctor were able to provide accurate details about the conditions at the time, their accounts are not the most reliable sources because they were still in positions of power. This meant that they never experienced the suffering that the slaves did firsthand. Olaudah Equiano, the former slave, was kidnapped as a child and brought to Virginia. Though some historians say there is proof that he was in fact born in South Carolina, most agree that his autobiography is accurate and factual. He described the cruel punishments he had to endure during the voyage across the Middle Passage, saying he had "never experienced anything of [that] kind before". Slaves were beaten, lashed, and underfed. Equiano also went into detail about the abysmal conditions aboard the slave ship; he described how bad the smell was and how the people around him were chained up. Overall, the account of the former slave is the most reliable source of information about the Middle Passage as he is able to give a firsthand account of the misery slaves experienced.

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The most reliable source to use out of the 3 documents, was the Slave Ship Doctor. The Slave Ship doctor has the least amount of bias among all the other prompts due to the fact that he is a doctor, who is there for medical purposes and oversaw all the events that occurred. His standpoint as a doctor oversaw all of the conditions that occurred, and he was there for research purposes. He claimed, "Upon negroes refusing to take sustenance, I have seen coals of fire, glowing hot, put on a shovel, and placed so near their lips as to scorch and burn them"(Falconbridge).  The doctor shows his point of view of what occurred, and shows the horrific sight of it, but from a point of view that had neither inflicted the pain, nor was the one suffering, so was able to give a full explanation as to how accurate the events he saw were. In another area of the prompt, he stated, "During the voyages I made, I was frequently a witness to the fatal effects of this exclusion of the fresh air. I will give one instance, as it serves to convey some idea, though a very faint one, of the sufferings of those unhappy beings whom we wantonly drag from the native country, and doom to perpetual labour and captivity" ( Falconbridge). In this other quote that the Doctor had stated, he demonstrates how he saw the horrid events that took place, and was able to walk around and see the conditions that were in the slaves part of the ships. Overall, The Doctor's response is the most accurate due to the fact he has the least unbiased standpoint, where he doesn't benefit from the slaves transportation and torture, but he was also not a slave being tortured where could give an unbiased point of view.

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The most reliable source of information about the Middle Passage would be the former slave. His experience is the most reliable because first off, he actually had to deal with the pain himself, second off, he had to witness terrible tragedies happen to people he might've known which would put it deeper in his memory and finally he has no reason to lie about what happened whereas all the other cases have reason to lie and say that it wasn't as bad, he had full reason to tell the truth.

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Middle Passage Readings- Andrew Breinholt

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Middle Passage Readings- Andrew Breinholt

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The most reliable source was the autobiography by Olaudah Equiano. As a slave, he was able to firsthand experience the Middle Passage. He is able to relate to the emotional horror as well. Equiano could be biased and exaggerating due to his personal hate for the journey. Equiano had the most reason to talk about the mistreatment such as the lashings.
The next best source is from the doctor. He presents factual information with little bias. He did not avoid talking about the harshness of the slavers. He mentioned using burning coals to force slaves to eat. The doctor also gave in depth information about the living quarters.

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The most reliable source of information about the Middle Passage would be from the former slave, Olaudah Equiano. As a former slave, Equiano was born in West Africa and then kidnapped as a young boy and sold to European slave traders. Equiano experienced the terrible, horrendous living conditions the slaves lived with under the deck, describing his experience as, "I was soon put down under the decks, and there I received such a salutation in my nostrils as I had never experienced in my life...I became so sick and low that I was not able to eat, nor had I the least desire to taste anything." Just the stench of the living atmosphere below deck resulted in Equiano losing his appetite to eat anything due to the disgust. Equiano experienced the white men beating the slaves who refused to eat. Some of the slaves tried to jump off the deck in order to avoid the punishment. As Equiano experienced the white people punishing the slaves with harsh actions, he began to fear them even more. In the Slave Ship Doctor passage, Alexander Falconbridge worked on British slave ships so he could have provided biased commentary since he was working under slave companies. Captain Thomas Phillips' account is least likely to be a reliable source about the Middle Passage because his job was to transport the captured slaves and he didn't experience the true, harsh living conditions that the slaves endured.

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I that that all of the passages there were given to us were reliable. On the other hand I do think that the most reliable one was the ¨Slave Ship Doctor¨. I think that that one was the most reliable because he went into detail about his experiences and he was the least unbias out of all of the passages. He goes into great detail when talking about the poor condtions that the slaves had to face and the horrors that he saw. I think that the second most reliable passage was the one written by a former slave whos name was Olaudah Equiano. I think that this passage is the second most reliable because there was some bias because he was a slave and it was proven that some of the things he wrote about were not true. The last one was ¨Slave Ship Captain¨ and I think that this one is the least reliable because he didnt have to deal with the slaves as much therefore he doesnt know what went on in their heads and has the least information about them.

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I think the most reliable source would be Olaudah Equiano, a former slave. He was the only source that actively was witnessing slavery and how it affected him. None of the other sources actively witnessed slavery so Equiano is the best source. He shares on how some of the white people were cruel and harsh to them. It gives more insight knowing that they actually experienced it. Another reliable source would be the "Slave Ship Doctor." The doctor didn't first person witness what it was like to be a slave, but he does give a strong account of how horrible it was for the slaves themselves. He went in to a little more detail about it. The doctor shares that if they slaves refused to take the food they gave them, "I have seen coals of fire, glowing hot, put on a shovel, and placed so near their lips, as to scorch and burn them."

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 He also describes how these horrid conditions led many of the slaves consider jumping of the sides of the ship in order to free themselves from the horror that became their daily life aboard the ship. It is due to his account and descriptions of the Middle Passage that I believe Equiano's account of the situation is the most reliable. Captain Phillips account of the ordeal can be ignored due to the fact that he was the only one who benefited from the situation, and didn't 

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Think of the narrative written by Olaudah Equiano, a former slave, as the most accurate source of knowledge about the Middle Passage. His source is the most accurate since, out of the 3 sources, he was the only one who witnessed and felt what it was like to be a slave. This biography comes straight from an individual who witnessed the Middle Passage of the minority. Although it does not provide as much data as the other two sources, it comes from someone who has encountered the Middle Passage himself and does not attempt to write in support of the conditions on board. Dr. Alexander Falconbridge, on the other hand, may be a credible source, but because he worked for the companies that held the slaves, since he participated in these transports, he is somewhat biased against the situation. Overall, I assume that, as he witnessed it firsthand, Olaudah Equiano has the most credible knowledge and was the one who was subjected to the Middle Passage's harsh treatment and unfavorable circumstances.

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Middle Passage Readings- Marina Kalajdzic

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Middle Passage Readings- Marina Kalajdzic

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I think that all of the passages are reliable sources, however the "Slave Ship Doctor" is probably the most reliable. Coming in a very close second was the autobiography by Olaudah Equiano. This passage was given by a former slave, however, it was proven that the information in his writing could have been wrong. Additionally, the doctor went in to more detail about the horrors that the slaves faced. Both of them mention the horrible quality of air in the "living spaces". Alexander Falconbridge talks about his experience, "During the voyages I made, I was frequently a witness to the fatal effects of this
exclusion of the fresh air." This lack of fresh air would cause a horrid smell along with tens of people dying. Overall, I appreciate how the doctor went in such detail about the bad things going on.

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The best and most reliable source about the middle passage comes from the firsthand experience and autobiography written by Olaudah Equiano. He lived what he wrote about and even though this gives him a bias that absolutely would affect how he writes about the Europeans that shipped and sold them, he still has a better account of what it was like. He says," I feared I should be put to death, the white people looked and acted as thought, in so savaged a manner.For I had never seen among any people such instances of brutal cruelty." No other people could give an account like thus because they didnt experience it. people like the slave ship capitan have good perspective that allow us to have another important perspective but history is rarely told from the point of veiw of the oppressed making Olaudahs very important. 

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The best and most reliable source about the middle passage comes from the firsthand experience and autobiography written by Olaudah Equiano. He lived what he wrote about and even though this gives him a bias that absolutely would affect how he writes about the Europeans that shipped and sold them, he still has a better account of what it was like. He says," I feared I should be put to death, the white people looked and acted as thought, in so savaged a manner.For I had never seen among any people such instances of brutal cruelty." No other people could give an account like thus because they didnt experience it. people like the slave ship capitan have good perspective that allow us to have another important perspective but history is rarely told from the point of veiw of the oppressed making Olaudahs very important. 

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Although all three sources containing information about the Middle Passage are very reliable, the third passage "Autobiography of a Former Slave" by Olaudah Equiano, is the most reliable. This biography is coming straight from a person of the minority that experienced the Middle Passage. Although it does not contain as much information as the other two sources, it is coming from someone who experienced the Middle Passage themselves and is not trying to write in favor of the conditions on board. Equiano writes about how the Middle Passage negatively affected him in saying "I now saw myself deprived of all chance of returning to my native country, or even the least glimpse of hope of gaining the shore, which I now considered as friendly; and I even wished for my former slavery in preference to my present situation, which was filled with horrors of every kind, still heightened by my ignorance of what I was to undergo." While the other two sources come from men who are not being taken against their will, the third source is coming from a person that did not want to be on the ship and was forced to be there anyway. Along with this, the authors of the first two sources will not write negatively of the Middle Passage because they were not treated poorly and chose to be there themselves. The third source proves to be the most reliable source because it is written in view of the bad effects the Middle Passage had on the captured slaves. "For I had never seen among any people such instances of brutal cruelty" (Equiano). Equiano writes from personal experience of treatment and does not ignore all of the bad things happening on board the ship. On the other hand, the authors of the first two sources only write about the way they themselves experienced the Middle Passage. Due to the first two sources being written from the perspective of men that were not experiencing the full affects of the Middle Passage themselves, the third source is by far the most reliable source out of the three.

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Middle Passage Readings- Aravind Anandakumar

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Middle Passage Readings- Aravind Anandakumar

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I think the most reliable source of information about the Middle Passage is from the autobiography written by Olaudah Equiano, a former slave. His source is the most reliable because he was the only person, out of the 3 accounts, who experienced and felt what it was like to be as a slave. He writes "I became so sick and low that I was not able to eat, nor had I the least desire to taste anything. I now wished for the last friend, death, to relieve me." This explains the fact that even though slaves were given less food and water anyways, they couldn't even eat it due to the other troubles they were facing, such as seasickness and diseases. Another evidence would be the behavior of the white people. They were treating the slaves brutally. They were cruel and Olaudah writes "For I had never seen among any people such instances of brutal cruelty; and this not only shown towards us blacks, but also to some of the whites themselves." Alexander Falconbridge's passage was reliable but not as reliable as Olaudah's because Olaudah actually experienced what it was like to be a slave and what's going on inside a slave's mind. Alexander mentions "They are commonly fed twice a day, about eight o’clock in the morning and four in the afternoon. On most ships they are only fed with their own feed once a day." The doctor just knows that they are being fed, but not really what the slaves felt while eating the food. Captain Thomas Phillips's passage is again still reliable but not as reliable as Olaudah's. The captain writes "The Negroes are so incident to the small-pox that few ships that carry them escape without it, and sometimes it makes vast havoc and destruction among them." It is evident that he could just see the slaves getting sick, but not really know what's going inside their heads.

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Personally, I believe the most reliable source of information about the journey across the Middle Passage comes from Alexander Falconbridge. He was a doctor aboard slave ships and had to witness the horrors endured by slaves many times and gave his personal view of what happened. Falconbridge is reliable because he was on multiple slave ships and worked closely with the slaves. He became very familiar with what they went through and gave very in depth descriptions of what went on aboard the ships. Falconbridge may be more reliable than Olaudah Equiano because Equiano only had one experience on a slave ship and was also very young when he was taken. This means that Falconbridge spent much more time aboard the ships and saw many more slaves go through the Middle Passage. Falconbridge describes the conditions as "intolerable" due to the heat and compared the ship to a slaughterhouse. Even though he may be biased because he is a white man, being payed to be on the ships, and not being treated like the slaves, Falconbridge still expresses sympathy and give a very detailed and dark description that was not very different from Equiano's first hand account. So, in my opinion, this makes the doctor come across as the most reliable source of information when it comes to the experiences of slaves while travelling through the Middle Passage.

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Middle Passage Readings Critical Thinking- Nicole Ihlein 

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Middle Passage Readings Critical Thinking- Nicole Ihlein 

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In my opinion, the most reliable source of information about the Middle Passage comes from Olaudah Equiano who was a slave that endured the hardships and had first hand experience of the Middle passage. His first hand account gives insight to the situation, and is more reliable due to his experience.  Equiano describes the horrible treatment, and the less than ideal conditions he endured during the journey. He explains how the stench below deck was so unbearable that it burned his nostrils, and left him unable to eat, which would cause beatings from the white men. This increased his fear of the white people, and their intentions for the slaves. He also describes how these horrid conditions led many of the slaves consider jumping of the sides of the ship in order to free themselves from the horror that became their daily life aboard the ship. It is due to his account and descriptions of the Middle Passage that I believe Equiano's account of the situation is the most reliable. Captain Phillips account of the ordeal can be ignored due to the fact that he was the only one who benefited from the situation, and didn't have to deal with the slaves and the slave decks as much; leaving him heavily biased over the situation as he speaks for the white men. On the other hand, the doctor Alexander Falconbridge could be a reliable source, but since he worked for the companies that transported the slaves, he is somewhat biased against the situation as he participated in these transports. So, overall I believe that Olaudah Equiano has the most reliable information as he experienced it firsthand, and was the one who was subject to the harsh treatment and unfavorable conditions of the Middle Passage.

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The most reliable source of information about the Middle Passage among the three provided (slave ship captain, slave ship doctor, slave) would be the doctor. While Equiano's account of his misery aboard the slave ship was firsthand, his perspective was very limited, since he had only experienced it one time on a single ship. Thus, he can only describe what it was like for himself and the slaves next to him, not for other slaves or the ship's crew. The sheer trauma and Equiano's emotions during the journey no doubt biased his autobiography; this conjecture is supported by many recent psychological studies.

The captain Phillips can obviously be discounted, since his account doesn't agree with the other two. He was the only one who profited from the slave trade itself, so Phillip's account is from a very biased perspective. By his descriptions, Phillips probably never went to see for himself the condition of the slaves, so his account only speaks for the ship's crew, but not the slaves.

The doctor, Falconbridge, would be the most reliable source of information. Falconbridge described in clear, objective detail the situation of the slaves, and his writing did not contradict Equiano's firsthand account. Falconbridge had the least to gain or lose from the slave trade, was the most clinical in his observations, visited both sides of the ship, and had been on multiple trips where he saw different groups of slaves with his own eyes.

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Middle Passage Readings Critical Thinking Assignment  - Zander Smathers

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Middle Passage Readings Critical Thinking Assignment  - Zander Smathers

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I believe that the most credible source of information about the Middle Passage and what atrocities occurred during it is the primary source, Olaudah Equiano who was a slave in the Middle Passage. He describes how he was a slave in his own country before being put on the ship and how the treatment he received there was preferable to the conditions presented to him during his first moments on the ship. He describes how the smell was so repulsive that it led him to tears and along with the realization of his circumstances made him utterly depressed and sick to the point of refusing rations. He was promptly punished for this because the slave traders did not want any of the slaves to die but for their wills to be broken. More specifically, their will to live was under attack the entire trip. The slave traders knew this and so they tied and/or chained slaves to the deck of the ship so that they could not jump off and die an early death. I believe that Mr. Equiano is the most reliable source of the Middle Passage because he was the one being tortured and he was the one under attack. The ship surgeon (Alexander Falconbridge) and the ship captain (Captain Thomas Philips) would be biased because they worked for the companies letting these events happen. Falconbridge does go into more grotesque description of the scene on the ship but ultimately, the actual slave that was on the ship is more believable because the surgeon was treated better due to him being white.