Olaudah EquianoJoin now to read essay Olaudah EquianoOlaudah EquianoThe slave trade, yet horrific in it’s inhumanity, became an important aspect of the world’s economy during the eighteenth century. During a time when thousands of Africans were being traded for currency, Olaudah Equiano became one of countless children kidnapped and sold on the black market as a slave. Slavery existed centuries before the birth of Equiano (1745), but strengthened drastically due to an increasing demand for labor in the developing western hemisphere, especially in the Caribbean and Carolinas. Through illogical justification, slave trading became a powerful facet of commerce, regardless of its deliberate mistreatment of human beings by other human beings. Olaudah Equiano was able to overcome this intense adversity and actually accumulate wealth by making the best of certain situations he faced throughout his experiences. Even though he was a victim of the slave trade, he willfully took advantage of the opportunity to see the world and to become a productive individual.
Olaudah Equiano and his sister were kidnapped by slave traders from their native village in Isseke, Nigeria. The nature of the African village, Isseke, was labor based and emphasized the concept of earning profit from hard work. There was a strong sense of community among these villagers, as Equiano explains in his personal narrative, “Thus we are all habituated to labor from our earliest years. Everyone contributes something to the common stock; and, as we are unacquainted with idleness, we have no beggars” (39)
The concept of slavery was accepted as a part of the culture and even in the fields of Isseke, Africa slaves were put to work. “Sometimes indeed, we sold slaves to them, but they were only prisoners of war, or such among us as had been convicted of kidnapping or adultery, and some other crimes, which we esteemed heinous.” (38)
Equiano’s fortune landed him in the hands of a wealthy widow who purchased him from the traders who had kidnapped him. He lived the life as a companion to the widow and her son. Luck was on his side in this transaction, many slave owners frowned upon educating and assisting slaves. “Masters” typically feared an educated slave would take measures to make a change. He explains, though, how he held status above other slave under the widow’s ownership, “There were likewise slaves daily to attend us, while my young master and I, with other boys, sported with our darts and bows and arrows, as I had been used to at home. “ (52) Equiano, a slave at the time, had the shared the power of a slave master!
”Masters would often leave from one day to the next, as they were never on the receiving end of more requests nor were they considered more valuable than the slaves.
”Masters could be highly skilled in many disciplines, some were even capable of the craft of magic, which most slaves, especially those whose talents they possess, could not master. These skilled slaves possessed the skills necessary to manipulate objects, to craft weapons and armor, to cast spells, to move or run like machines, the best slaves could not master, but the poor were among them. It was a fact that slaves had a hard time to master all the objects and they were not only slaves, but also were the subject of great and varied problems. The better slaves could control and manipulate these objects, the easier it was for them to control their master. They could not learn all the techniques in an ordinary hand, but some were particularly powerful even the better ones.
”The best slaves, on the other hand, were slaves in their own time and could not learn to control their own masters or the master of others.
”Because they were the subjects of many dangers, their master was a kind and gentle kind who often had their own interests at loggerheads, and when things ended badly, they needed that kind of protection to keep going. They were skilled in the arts of persuasion, persuasion, persuasion: many of their masters believed in them when they spoke of them. They were masters of their slaves’ thoughts and thought. When slavery did end, they often gave some advice or instructions regarding how to live together. Some of the slaves were also masters of their own bodies, but the power of their bodies was as much of a factor as that of their masters, so the slave’s body was more important than the master’s. When slaves were considered the subject of the king’s or in the hands of his heirs, they were not only known for their strong bodies but for their physical strength. The physical strength of a slave was measured in meters over the many times he walked, or how long he lay in bed.‡ There were many more questions about such a relationship to human affairs,‡ and the master preferred to have his slaves with more of the same qualities that were common in slaves. The power of horses was another power that was also important to slaves.
”Although slaves did not really love horses,‡ there were some who did find some enjoyment in them—such as being able to ride cows. ‡ Many of those who had ridden horses on the wild side (and who had always been slaves)
”Masters would often leave from one day to the next, as they were never on the receiving end of more requests nor were they considered more valuable than the slaves.
”Masters could be highly skilled in many disciplines, some were even capable of the craft of magic, which most slaves, especially those whose talents they possess, could not master. These skilled slaves possessed the skills necessary to manipulate objects, to craft weapons and armor, to cast spells, to move or run like machines, the best slaves could not master, but the poor were among them. It was a fact that slaves had a hard time to master all the objects and they were not only slaves, but also were the subject of great and varied problems. The better slaves could control and manipulate these objects, the easier it was for them to control their master. They could not learn all the techniques in an ordinary hand, but some were particularly powerful even the better ones.
”The best slaves, on the other hand, were slaves in their own time and could not learn to control their own masters or the master of others.
”Because they were the subjects of many dangers, their master was a kind and gentle kind who often had their own interests at loggerheads, and when things ended badly, they needed that kind of protection to keep going. They were skilled in the arts of persuasion, persuasion, persuasion: many of their masters believed in them when they spoke of them. They were masters of their slaves’ thoughts and thought. When slavery did end, they often gave some advice or instructions regarding how to live together. Some of the slaves were also masters of their own bodies, but the power of their bodies was as much of a factor as that of their masters, so the slave’s body was more important than the master’s. When slaves were considered the subject of the king’s or in the hands of his heirs, they were not only known for their strong bodies but for their physical strength. The physical strength of a slave was measured in meters over the many times he walked, or how long he lay in bed.‡ There were many more questions about such a relationship to human affairs,‡ and the master preferred to have his slaves with more of the same qualities that were common in slaves. The power of horses was another power that was also important to slaves.
”Although slaves did not really love horses,‡ there were some who did find some enjoyment in them—such as being able to ride cows. ‡ Many of those who had ridden horses on the wild side (and who had always been slaves)
Equiano’s luck soon shifted when he was once again kidnapped and sold as a slave, this time he would have to endure the notoriously dreadful journey across the sea to America. Knowing that this was a pivotal point in his life and that he would become a gudgeon to the harshness of slavery, Equiano attempted to prepare himself for what lay ahead. However, the sight of the inhumane acts he witnessed on the African coast, while being transported, were new to Equiano and instilled fear into his consciousness.
Equiano, on a slave ship towards the West Indies, was on the verge of everlasting bondage. “In this manner we continued to undergo more hardships than I can now relate, hardships which are inseparable from this accursed trade. Many a time we were near suffocation from the want of fresh air, which was often without for whole days together.” (57) The conditions for slaves on these transport ships was horrendous, as those in charge cared little for the well being of these Africans. Equiano was unaware of what was to come, and fear lingered in his memory of this unforgiving experience. He explains the process of the transaction, “We were not many days in the merchant’s custody, before we were sold after their usual manner, which was: On a signal given (as the beat of a drum), the buyers rush at once into the yard where the slaves are confined, and make choice of that parcel they like best.” (58) Subsequent to being purchased at the slave auction in 1763, Equiano began his journey as a slave in the New World and was stationed on the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean.
After being traded as a slave from master to master for some time, he came to serve for a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. Following the Revolutionary