“The annihilation of individual identity and the ability of people to tell their own stories,” as guest Marcus Rediker states to host Rebecca Onion, both consist of the violence of the 18th century slave trade. Because of this, the autobiography of slave Olaudah Equiano is a rare and valuable account of the Middle Passage according to Rediker. Although, professor Vincent Carretta questions the honesty of Equiano’s firsthand testimony when he discovered two documents that indicated his birthplace was in South Carolina and not the claimed Nigeria. But, according to Rediker, his birthplace really does not matter because even “if he didn’t experience the Middle Passage, then he certainly talked to a lot of people who did” and the rare information
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Onion responds by discussing the famous image of the slave ship Brookes that reveals the numerous amount of bodies crammed into a small space. Rediker informs that this ship would have had holes drilled on the side of the lower decks so that the surplus of slaves could breathe. They also created netting along the side of the ship to prevent against acts of suicide. These safety precautions, according to Bouie and Onion, were only taken to maximize their profit by keeping all of their “property” alive. Specifically, Onion discusses how many slaves would not eat because of a growing depression, so doctors would force-feed slaves with a “speculum oris” that opened up their throats in order to keep them alive to sell. Because, as Bouie points out, plantation slavery would not exist in America if it was not for the slave ships. While an “extreme oppression” and conditioning of black people into slaves took place on these ships, Rediker also argues that an “extreme and heroic resistance” emerged as well. This diverse group of Africans, often including long-term enemies, were learning how to cooperate together under this stress and how to fight back. By learning how to bond, Rediker states how they created a “fictive kinship” where they thought themselves as brothers and sisters. This newfound unity led to revolts. For example, Onion speaks about how the Amistad revolt was able
Onion responds by discussing the famous image of the slave ship Brookes that reveals the numerous amount of bodies crammed into a small space. Rediker informs that this ship would have had holes drilled on the side of the lower decks so that the surplus of slaves could breathe. They also created netting along the side of the ship to prevent against acts of suicide. These safety precautions, according to Bouie and Onion, were only taken to maximize their profit by keeping all of their “property” alive. Specifically, Onion discusses how many slaves would not eat because of a growing depression, so doctors would force-feed slaves with a “speculum oris” that opened up their throats in order to keep them alive to sell. Because, as Bouie points out, plantation slavery would not exist in America if it was not for the slave ships. While an “extreme oppression” and conditioning of black people into slaves took place on these ships, Rediker also argues that an “extreme and heroic resistance” emerged as well. This diverse group of Africans, often including long-term enemies, were learning how to cooperate together under this stress and how to fight back. By learning how to bond, Rediker states how they created a “fictive kinship” where they thought themselves as brothers and sisters. This newfound unity led to revolts. For example, Onion speaks about how the Amistad revolt was able