PDP 8: "Slavery and the Slave Trade of Brazil"

Author Bio: Thomas Nelson is the author of this excerpt, and he describes his unique encounter with the hundreds of slaves onboard a ship. He was a surgeon whose job was to help the slaves who were in bad condition and were being exported illegally. Nelson's bias is included in this description because he is reciting his experience on what he saw on the H.M.S Crescent, and including his opinion on the slaves treatment. Nelson belonged to the British, and since the British were against slavery, Nelson was too. His description is reliable because it is a primary source of his confrontation with the slaves on the ship.

Date/Context: This excerpt came from a book that Thomas Nelson wrote in the 1840s. During this time period, the British decided to abolish slavery. Britain made another decision to say that other countries should not use slavery, so, under British pressure, Brazil abolished slavery. Sneakily, Brazil continued to trade slaves despite the slavery abolishment rule. Due to the illegal transport, British individuals were sent to investigate Brazil's ships to ensure that the ships had no slaves on board. Given that the excerpt was written during a time of slavery struggle, it portrays accurate and believable information about the true conditions that slaves faced.

Summary: The excerpt starts off with Nelson's first impression of the slaves on the ship. His detailed descriptions delve deep into the large amount of slaves condensed into the small corners of the ships. The harsh environment that the slaves lived in did not give the slaves any water, any clean clothes, and they suffered from muscle pain and stiffness. Nelson continues his encounter of the ship by describing the women and children who were crying and suffering from the lack of necessities. As Nelson started to investigate the individuals to examine their health status, he really noticed the seriousness of the slaves. Nelson decided that most of the slaves were diagnosed with smallpox, and other diseases. Further into the excerpt, Nelson writes a situation where slaves jumped off ships to escape the condition of which they were confined to. Nelson wraps up this section by concluding that the slaves were mentally exhausted and there physical capabilities were declining. The strident life the slaves had on the ships is indescribable, but Nelson provides an explanation that gives the readers an authentic account of how slaves were treated.

Key Quotation: "Huddled closely together on deck, and blocking up the gangways on either side, cowered or rather squatted, three hundred sixty-two negroes, with disease, want, and misery stamped upon them with such painful intensity as utterly beggars all powers of description."