Umm Yea

“The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” is a firsthand account of the life of an American Slave. This book was released in order to spread awareness of the mistreatment of slaves in the world, and was used to help persuade British readers and parliament to outlaw slavery in Great Britain. The point of this book was to shock people on how slaves are traded and sold between countries and locations all throughout the world, and are treated not like humans but like property or even animals. This was one of the first autobiographies written by a former slave about his life. It was so eye opening to everyone who read it because everyone knew what happened in the slave trade but when they actually read this book, they finally had a firsthand glimpse of what actually happen.
He spoke of how it all began, with how he was captured and taken away. “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, til night came.” We never here about how the Europeans actually came over and captured these African people, this helped to paint a picture of how uncaring and barbaric they really were towards the African people.
After describing how he and his sister were captured at the mere age of 6, he goes on to describe how they were transported from place to place. They were transported from their home to a holding place where they were not allowed to eat, they were forced to sleep and keep quite. The next morning they awoke and continued on the journey to the ships, where they were chained and shackled to each other and the ship to keep them still and bound. He uses great description words to paint a clear and vivid picture... [continues]

Read full essay