Ship of Slaves: The Middle Passage

The History Channel does a creditable--if somewhat pedantic--job here of documenting the history of the slave trade, which is as old as mankind, but reached its apex in the 18th and 19th centuries when the continent of Africa became fertile territory for the capture and shipment of slaves. The ‘Middle Passage' refers to the route from Africa to the New World, a passage where countless numbers perished in the most deplorable of conditions and many more found themselves brutally uprooted from their homeland only to be treated as property in foreign countries. This video uses a mixture of poetry, modern dance, historical photographs, and voice-overs to detail the incredible hardships faced by slaves. While it also tends to be repetitive and somewhat erratic in its presentation of the material, the program does spend considerable time on the "La Amistad" mutiny, and therefore has contemporary interest to viewers. Recommended, overall. (J. Carlson)