Olaudah Equiano used his knowledge of writing to share the other side of slavery for he felt it was important for history to know the story of the African.
by Rachel Hemple
1. Text
1.1. Memoir of Olaudah Equiano's life and culture of Africa
1.2. Written 1789, about 20 years after Equiano earned his freedom
1.3. The Interesting Narrative of The Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African.
2. Reader
2.1. Equiano wanted the reader to understand African culture and who slavery and the middle passage was like for those captive
2.2. The reader was meant to gain knowledge on the life that he shared through his memoirs
2.3. African culture was not uncivilized, but because it was different from the European observations the people of Africa were seen as uncivilized; Equiano wanted to show that this was a false assumption.
3. Facts
3.1. The part of Africa, known as Guinea, where salve trade took place included varieties of kingdoms, and those kingdoms oversaw different tribes; Equiano wanted to prove that there were various cultures within Africa and tribes warred with each other
3.2. Slavery was a form of punishment for certain tribes and kings would allow other tribes to enslave those who were in debt
3.3. Equiano experienced the fate of many that were sold into slavery by being kidnapped when he was away from his home
3.4. Many African cultures were agricultural based, which is what made them more desirable for slave labor in the Americas
4. Conclusion
4.1. Africans had a rich culture that was tarnished by the opinions and false information spread by Europeans
4.2. Equiano wanted to share the African side of slavery so that the story would not be lost and that he could argue more toward abolishment of slavery
5. Influence
5.1. This text is one of the few texts to be written by a slave that was taken through the Middle Passage to the Caribbean Islands
5.2. This text shows the side of Africa that was not truly documented during the writing of this autobigraphy
5.3. This text helped influence the abolitionist movement, which sought to end slavery under the idea that all men are created equal at birth
6. Author
6.1. Enslaved as a child in the Caribbean
6.2. Eventually earned his freedom due to his intelligence and start trading
6.3. As a freedman in London, supported the British abolitionist movement and wrote his memoir to share his experience as a slave.
7. Context
7.1. Written during the era of slavery by a man who had experienced what it was like to be free and then enslaved through the middle passage
7.2. This was written after the American Revolution and during a period of Enlightenment where Western philosophy started to believe that all men were created equal
7.3. Slavery was still legal and pervasive throughout the Americas where Equiano was enslaved for part of his life
8. Exigence
8.1. It can be assumed that Equiano suffered greatly from the separation from his sister that he experienced twice during his time as a slave
8.2. Africans were seen as lesser than to Europeans.
8.3. Slavery a ruthless business that did not care for the mental wellbeing of slaves
9. Importance
9.1. This autobiography is one of the most important texts written by a former slave for it brought as many emotions as it did facts about what it was like to be a slave through the Middle Passage
9.2. It is important to really understand what slaves went through during their capture, purchase, and enslavement to fully understand the history of African slavery
