Kupperman, Karen O. (2000). Olaudah Equiano Recalls His Enslavement, 1750s. Major Problems in American Colonial History (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin, 292. This document refers to Equiano’s recall of the day he and his sister were kidnapped and sold for slavery. The kids usually had a sensor out to watch for kidnappers. That day, two men and one woman entered the house so quickly Equiano and his sister did not have time to react. The document is a helpful source for an overview on how kids were kidnapped while the adults were out working the fields. Kupperman, Karen O. (2000). Olaudah Equiano Recalls His Enslavement, 1750s. Major Problems in American Colonial History (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin, 295. This document Equiano and King made a deal that he could earn his freedom for forty pounds, the amount King paid for him. Equiano became friend with Thomas Farmer, the ship’s captain, who allowed him to earned the forty pounds by petty trading. This source is relevant to my research as it establishes the beginning of Equiano’s journey as a free man. Olaudah Equiano. (n.d.). In Encyclopedia Britannica on line. Retrieved August 29, 2016 from https://www.britannica.com. This reference reports how Equiano became an active abolitionist by lecturing against the cruelty of British slave owners in Jamaica. He was assigned to the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor. Equiano expresses his concerns for free slaves and their humane treatment. This source is beneficial in explaining why Equiano was fighting for slave rights. Brycchan, Carey (2014). Olaudah Equiano, African or American? 1650-1850. This resource mentions Equiano’s arguments against the slave trade and how the trade did not make sound economic sense. Instead, blacks should have been allowed to stay in their own country, they could have increased the population by one hundred percent in fifteen years. Higher population would mean more production and therefore better economy. This source establishes the reason why Equiano fought for the abolishment of slave in Olaudah Equiano (c.1745-1797), Christians Who Changed the World. Christian Worldview Journal. Retrieved from http://www.colsoncenter.org. This article describes Equiano most important experience of his life, his conversion to Christianity, while on a voyage to Spain. Equiano was involved in setting up a new colony in Central America and bringing in African Slaves. He worked hard to see that slaves were treated well in the colony. This movement made him a full-fledged abolitionist. He was nearly re-enslaved, only barely escaping by canoe from his captor. This source resembles a new perspective on why Equiano was fighting for slave rights. Vincent, Carretta. Equiano the African, biography of a Self-made man, 417. This book explains Equiano’s success as a best-selling author and the wealthiest black man in the English world. He was so well off that he dabbled in money lending to English people. A major reason for his popularity was his autobiography containing a detailed account of his birth and childhood in Nigeria. His narrative of the Atlantic crossing in a slave ship is as unique as it is moving. Along with Thomas Clarkson, William Wilberforce, and Granville Sharpe, Equiano was a major abolitionist working to expose the nature of shameful slave trades. This resource is helpful since it described Equiano’s traveling throughout Britain while promoting his
Equiano was the youngest of his brothers who enjoyed playing outside throwing javelins enjoying the normal life of a small child. At the beginning of the day, the elders would leave their children at home while they went out into the fields to work. While they were gone, some of the children would get together to play but always took precautions of potential kidnappers. Even with all these precautions, people were still seized from their homes and taken away. Equiano was home one day with his little sister tending to the everyday household needs when out of nowhere they were captured by a couple men who had gotten over the walls. They had no time to resist or scream for help before they found themselves bound, gagged, and being taken away. Equiano had no idea where these people were taking him and they didn’t stop once until nightfall where they stayed until dawn. He tells us about how they traveled for many days and nights not having any clue where they were going or when they would get there. Slaves traveled by land and by sea, but Equiano’s journey was by sea. He tells us how he was carried aboard and immediately chained to other African Americans that were already on the ship. Once the ship halted on land, Equiano along with many other slaves were sent to the merchant’s yard where they would be herded together and bought by the
Document One The Journey to Slavery is about the life of Olaudah Equiano. Equiano was born in what is now Nigeria in 1745. At the age of 11 Equiano and his younger sister were taken from their home, drug though the woods, sold, and was then separated from one another. Equiano’s experience was considered very rare. Throughout his life as a slave he had three different owners. Equiano went from one master to the other till he ended up in a pleasant country in the hands of a leader with children and two wives. He describes how his owners treated him like he was part of the family. They spoke he same
He describes the ways in which he was considered fortunate amongst other slaves. Equiano confessed that all of his masters were “worthy and humane”, they treated him right and even gave him the gift of literacy and religion (709). He compares his experience to the experience of other less fortunate individuals, and finds that treating slaves in a kinder manner actually benefits the slave owners (Equiano 709). Equiano states that the slaves under more solicitous masters “were uncommonly cheerful and healthy, and did more work” (709). Furthermore, he mentions how many malevolent slave owners would have to replace their slaves very often in order to make up for the amount of slaves that would die due to the harsh and unhealthy conditions that the slaves were put in (709). Equiano does all of this in order to try and reason with his audience in a more efficient way. Equiano realized that trying to convince his audience that slavery was completely wrong would not work due to the very strong views on it in his time. Instead he tries to convince his audience to change the manner in which they treat their slaves in order to benefit themselves, which consequently would benefit the slaves and contribute to their
Olaudah Equiano was a freed slave living in London who made it his life person to abolish the British slave trade. His knowledge and training of the English language allowed him to grow into one of the key figures in the movement to abolish the slave trade in England. Although many scholars acknowledge his incredible talent, there has been evidence in the recent years that may question his reliability as a first-hand account. There is evidence to support that Equiano may have been born in South Carolina. This evidence does not make him a valid source of information about the slave trade and leads his audience to question his statements.
The slave narratives written by Olaudah Equiano and Frederick Douglass, were important pieces of literature, helping to bring to the life the harsh realities of slavery. Equiano and Douglass, documented their experiences as slaves, to in hopes to connect with white audiences, showing them the immorality and hypocrisy of slavery. While both writers aimed to highlight the inhumanity of slavery, hoping it would lead to abolishment, Douglass and Equiano had different approaches. Both writers were influenced by different eras: Equiano’s writing is influenced by the Enlightenment Period, while Douglass was influenced by Romanticism. Comparing the styles, Douglass’ narratives are stinging, while Equiano’s narrative seems to be more appeasing. However, this has more to do with the influences of their time, than the character of either man. Contrasting styles of both men, echoes the contrasting philosophies of Romanticism and Enlightenment; different but one paves the way for the next.
The narrative of Olaudah Equiano is truly a magnificent one. Not only does the reader get to see the world through Equiano's own personal experiences, we get to read a major autobiography that combined the form of a slave narrative with that of a spiritual conversion autobiography. Religion may be viewed as at the heart of the matter in Equiano's long, remarkable journey. Through Equiano's own experiences, the reader uncovers just how massive a role religion played in the part of his Narrative and in that of his own life. More specifically, we learn of how his religious conversion meant a type of freedom as momentous as his own independence from slavery. As one reads his tale, one learns just how dedicated he his to that of his Christian faith; from his constant narration of the scriptures to the way that Equiano feels a growing sense of empowerment from the biblical texts for the oppressed community. However, at the same time, one may question Equiano's own Christian piety. Did Equiano really seek to tell the tale of his soul's spiritual journey, did he really believe God would set him free or was he simply using religion as a ways of manipulating British and American readers to accept him as a credible narrator. Regardless of which of these facts is true, religion is quite possibly the defining feature of his life story.
Before delving into the author’s identity’s struggle, one must understand his past. Born in Eboe in 1745, Olaudah Equiano was kidnapped and sold into slavery at the age of 11. After spending a brief period of time in Virginia, the author globetrotted on different slave and naval ships, as his voyages bring him to many different places such as England, the Caribbean, and the southern United States. Michael Henry Pascal, one of his masters during this period, gives the author the name of Gustavas Vassa, which he himself as for the rest of his life. During this time, he also converts to Christianity. After his travels with Pascal, Robert King, a Quaker from Philadelphia, purchases the author in 1763. Under King, he works as a clerk as well as on King’s trading sloops. Through minor exchanges permitted by King, he is able to earn and save enough money to purchase his freedom in 1766. Shortly after, the author settles in England in 1767, where he attends school and works as an assistant to scientist Dr. Charles Irving. As a freeman, the author travels extensively, including a 1773 expedition with Irving in search of a Northeast Passage between Europe and Asia, as well as to the Mediterranean and the West Indies. One of these voyages includes a trip to Africa in order to convert Africans to Chris...
More than anything else, this book is centered on the devastating slave trade. Equiano’s own life tells the truth perspective of how terribly the slave trade harmed everyone involved life. Africans, including children, were kidnapped from their homes and families. The families who had somebody kidnapped would be
Equiano experienced first hand, the discrimination and hatred towards African slaves from Europeans while he was enslaved. For example, “a multitude of black people of every description chained together, every one of their countenances expressing dejection and sorrow, I no longer doubted of my fate; and, quite overpowered with horror and anguish” (Document 9). Equiano’s beliefs were the beginning of change in Africa because he also tried to prevent “evil to triumph”. By pushing people from their homes and obtaining natural resources which were property of the African nations. Other nations did not only us the continent for resources, but also as a hunting
Olaudah Equiano was not an American born slave. He was born and raised well into his childhood in Africa with his family. His slave narrative, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustav Vassa, the African, published in New York in 1791 however, had a lasting impact on America as it described the inhumane treatment of Africans being sold into slavery (Baym 1: 687). Equiano’s initial concept of freedom stemmed from his childhood of which he speaks very fondly, describing his homeland as a “nation of dancers, musicians and poets,” a...
Equiano constantly sought out to purchase his freedom. When his master Robert King finally permitted him to raise enough money, he was overjoyed, “[He would] become . . . [his] own master” (105). At one point Equiano got into a fight with a black slave, and the slave’s master wanted to flog Equiano for beating his property, even though the slave hit Equiano first. Afterwards, Equiano met a free black man who was accused of being a slave and threatened with kidnapping. This shows that white men always had power over black men regardless if the black men was property or not. As a result, Equiano soon came to learn “there was little or no law for a free negro” (107). On another occasion Equiano was on a boat that wrecked on the coast of the Bahamas because of a strong current. During this tragic event, some of the white people started to drink their lives away, and none of them helped the others or themselves: “not one of the white men did anything to preserve their lives” (Equiano 114). It was up to Equiano to save them, and if he had not, the white men would have died. However, Equiano did not get the recognition like a white person would. To summarize, this goes to show that blacks were still not equivalent to whites no matter if free or
He was a man who believed to be blessed from all events of his life and for which he hopes for his work to serve the purpose in helping his enslaved brethren. He wished to portrait a positive image on Ebobe people to whom he claims he descended from. The narrative provided a thorough indictment of the slave trade and to thereby compel the British government to abolish it. Although Equiano makes his point in relation to the events of his life by inciting consciences and raising the question to England on its commitment towards democracy, liberty, and equality. He then concludes with a striking rhetorical assault against slavery by stating that it is incompatible with virtue, morality and biblical
There are several occurrences in which Equiano presents his belief that free blacks are worse off than slaves. Their freedom was only nominal and lived in constant fear of becoming recaptured as slaves or being constantly abused of their liberty. While in Georgia, Equiano engaged in a fight with Mr. Read’s slave. Mr. Read wanted punishment and Equiano was shocked and frightened that Mr. Read didn’t respect his title as a free man (page 276).
"The Life of Olaudah Equiano” is a captivating story in which Equiano, the author, reflects on his life from becoming a slave to a freeman during the 19th century. Through his experiences and writing, Equiano paints a vivid picture of the atrocities and cruelties of European slavery. Ultimately through his narrative, Equiano intends to persuade his audience, the British government, to abolish the Atlantic slave trade as well as alert them of the harsh treatment of slaves. He successfully accomplishes his goal by subtly making arguments through the use of character, action, and setting.
In order to combat the slave trade, Equiano uses vivid imagery of his personal life experiences as a slave, demonstrates how the power over slaves impacted men and the treatment of slaves, and puts an emphasis on the overall immorality of subjecting men to a life of slavery.