“Of the estimated 7.7million Africans transported to the New World between 1492 and 1820, over half arrived between 1700 and 1800.”(1) In the eighteenth century, it was a regularized business in which European merchants, African traders, and American planters engaged in complex bargaining over human lives, all with the expectation of securing a profit. (1) I was surprised the fact that there were African traders who exported Africans to America as a business. I thought England or Spain kidnapped Africans with no authorizations. But in Africa, as same as now, there were rich people and poor people, so African had slaves who were African. How did African slaves come to America? How did they live?
Sometime in the mid-1750s, Olaundah Equiano, the eleven-year-old son of a West African village chief, was kidnapped by slave traders. (1) His family had many slaves in his house. (2) Although he was kidnapped when he was eleven years old, Olaudah Equiano, also known as Gustavus Vassa, was one of the most prominent people of African heritage involved in the British debate for the abolition of the slave trade.
He published a book called The Interesting Narrative of the Life if Gustavus Vassa, the African, which is his autobiography.
“One day, when all our people were gone out to their works as usual, and only I and my dear sister were left to mind the house, two men and a woman got over our walls, and in a moment seized us both, and, without giving us time to cry out, or make resistance, they stopped our mouths, and ran off with us into the nearest wood. Here they tied our hands, and continued to carry us as far as they could, till night came on, when we reached a small house, where the robbers halted for refreshment, and spent the night. “(3)
He wrote about the time he and his sister were kidnapped by traders. I can tell they had no idea what was happening and they were scared. He was living in rich family, but suddenly, somebody he doesn’t know took him somewhere.
“I stayed in this island for a few days; I believe it could not be above a fortnight; when I and some few more slaves, that were not saleable amongst the rest, from very much fretting, were shipped off in a sloop for North America.”(3)
After he arrived at North America, He worked for Whites. While he was still a slave, he could learn to read and write, and enlisted in the Royal Navy. In 1763, Equiano was sold once again and returned to the Caribbean. Three years later, he was able to purchase his freedom. (1)
In 18th century, Africans were the products for trading but not a man. I understand that European couldn’t think that African people were also the same human and had a right to have freedom because they look really different and speak different. But I felt really sad that some African supported the African slave trade because they know they are human, have a family, and have a right to live.
(1) Eric, Forner. Give Me Liberty! An American History. New York: W.W.Norton, 2005.
(2) "Wikipedia". Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2009/07/06
(3) Olaudah , Equiano. The Interesting Narrative of The Life of Olaudah Equiano, The African. Lightning Sourse , 2006.
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