My Responses from Reading Stand the Storm

With my sallow understanding of slavery, I imagined slavery only happening in the New World, where they obtained a better treatment than the book recorded; at least, slaves would have enough nutritious food on their trip to North and South America. After reading this book, Stand the Storm, the pains of African slaves conjured up on my mind, and I thought their suffering and humiliation was difficult to compensate with any amount of money. This book portrays thorough history and impacts of how African slaves were captured and sent to North and South America. One thing was true that slave trade favored the economic development of Americas to expand in a fast pace. However, it was absolutely an evil economic activity that brought great suffering and incredible distress to many thousands of the Africans. In this paper, I would like to probe deeply on how the Africans slaves were treated in their tribes. Also, in that sense they were captured to serve as slave on their own continent of Africa. Comparing with North and South America, I will find out the differences of practicing slavery between

In my opinion, this book is quite heart stirring; also, the visions and rituals are depicted in full and complete details. Certainly, it gives a clear insight to the readers of how the African slaves were subjected painfully by the Europeans in the New World. Moreover, I was surprised that slavery did exist and start first on the continent of Africa, as well as their functions were different from those in the Americas. However, no matter where the enslavement existed, slavery is realized and confirmed as the human exploitative system up to the present day, in which numerous Africans used their sweat to replace for their tear.

Another phenomenon that often occurred in the Americas rather than in Africa was escaping. It was no doubt that the slaves in other African tribal societies also escaped to their homes, but in the Americas, the situation was extremely different. The African slaves escaped from their working fields to the nearby mountains, and they formed several small societies there as their gathering places. Also, most of them would hold their wedding and tribal religious ceremonies within these secret tribal groups. Tribal dancing and songs were practiced as well. In fact, it was so painful that for these Africans lived in such a clandestine life to exchange a little bit freedom from enslavement. They were fear to be discovered by their brutal masters in every minute since harsh punishment would be used to punish those escapers.

All along, the Europeans treated the African slaves like a dog. Although slaves in Africa needed to work harshly, some humanity was retained. For instance, "the kings have slaves...to whom they gave wives, ...also, furnish them with food and drink." (Reynolds 8) In contrast, in the Middle Passage, thousands of Africans were chained in pairs, and kept in extremely narrow ship compartments without any utilities. Furthermore, on the board, the nasty "African meal"was served to the Africans, so most of them would rather to starve themselves to die from malnutrition. To halt this from happening, "hot coals were put on a shovel and placed so near the lips of a recalcitrant slave that his mouth was scorched and burned..., a mouth opener, was used to force food down a slave's throat." (Reynolds 49) In addition, sexual harassment always happened to the African females. In reality, those women could not reject the sailors to harass them; otherwise, they would be whipped severely. These inhumane treatments reflected the Europeans as cold-blooded, and those Africans were being persecuting when they first stepped on the ship to America.

both places, and the ways of the African salves adapted to the new environment and conditions in the New World.

Inasmuch many purposes that a slave could perform, a large number of the Africans was recruited or kidnapped to become slaves. Most of the slaves were grabbed during wartime, and they were sold to a distant place as soon as possible since they were the prisoners of war who thirsted for escaping from their enemies. Hence, it was common

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2060
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)