Olaudah Equiano Research Paper

Olaudah Equiano is well known historically as a narrative that overcame slavery in order to achieve the ideal that all men are created equally. At eleven years old when he was abducted, he went through troubling times as an African American and was able to tell his horrifying yet fascinating experience as a slave on the voyage known as The Middle Passage. On this voyage, the conditions were horrifying, hopeless, brutal and wretched, some of the words from Olaudah. The high mortality rates were caused by the disease infested rooms. The temperatures were unbearable, hot and covered with blood and mucus. The African Americans were deprived of food, healthcare and neglected proper treatments. Due to the overcrowded conditions, this caused the diseases which killed many passengers. It’s saddening when Olaudah says that, “Sleep was the only temporary refuge.” The life on the boats were so horrible that some preferred death than to their gruesome future.

The way the Europeans treated the Negros were immoral and corrupt. The Europeans viewed them as cargo and treated them in an inhumane way. The brutality that they were treated with is unimaginable. Oaudah was treated as if he were cargo below the deck. Slave traders felt that they had to keep their power by beating, torturing, lying and terrifying the innocent Africans. Oaudah and others felt hopeless and isolated by the harsh life and of course many wanted to rebel towards the slave traders. However, they were to afraid and shocked to even take any action of