What makes Newport a Middle Passage?

While Newport launched the most slave-trading voyages in North America, most ships delivered the captives to the British West Indies, or to the southern colonies or states. These middle passage ports were the second leg in the famed Rhode Island “triangle trade”. Ships then returned to Newport for the final leg, often carrying molasses to make rum.

However, Newport captains also at times carriedĀ enslaved people directly from Africa to Newport harbor.

Newport Mercury 1758 - Middle Passage Port

View a slide show of documentary evidence of voyages that left West Africa for the “middle passage” destination of Newport:

https://newportmiddlepassage.org/voyages-entering-from-africa/