"大西洋的一部分，位於西印度羣島和非洲西海岸之間"，1788年，在反對跨大西洋奴隸貿易的鼓動中，來自 middle（形容詞）+ passage（通道）。
It is clear that none of the unfortunate people, perhaps at this moment on board, can stand upright, but that they must sit down, and contract their limbs within the limits of little more than three square feet, during the whole of the middle passage. I cannot compare the scene on board this vessel, to any other than that of a pen of sheep; with this difference only, that the one have the advantages of a wholesome air, while that, which the others breathe, is putrid. [Thomas Clarkson, "An Essay on the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species," 1788]
很明顯，這些不幸的人中，也許此刻正在船上，沒有一個人能站直，他們必須坐下來，將肢體收縮在不到三平方英尺的範圍內，在整個中途停留期間。我無法將這艘船上的場景與其他場景進行比較，除了一隻羊圈，只有一個區別，那就是一方擁有健康的空氣，而另一方呼吸的空氣是腐臭的。[托馬斯·克拉克森，《論人類物種的奴隸制和商業》，1788年]
