The Interesting Narrative Of The Life Of Olaudah Equiano

Slavery into North America started in the eighteenth century. Steven Mintz writes, “between 9.6 and 10.8 million Africans arrived in the Americas.” The death rate of slaves at that time was about ten to twenty percent. Only a few slaves during that period had the opportunity to learn to read and write. Slavery would later become a large problem in North America and lead to what we call the Civil War. One slave, in particular, Olaudah Equiano, describes his experiences in his narrative. Olaudah Equiano describes his life experiences as a slave in The Interesting Narrative of The Life of Olaudah Equiano.
Olaudah Equiano describes the conditions of the boat as miserable and dreadful. “The African interior was riddled with disease....,” Eye Witness to History confirms. Also in the article it describes the conditions of the boat as very poor and little to no space to move and breath. In most slave trade boats, slaves were penned in like livestock and little essentials provided for them. “This produced …show more content…
The average journey to North America is recorded at about six to seven months. During that time, slaves were forced below decks and provided little space and provisions. A&E Television Networks records on one of their segments, “...rewarded obedient slave behavior with favors, while rebellious slaves were brutally punished.” Olaudah Equiano also records “...preferring death to such a life of misery, somehow made through the nettings and jumped into sea;.(pg. 173)” The crew on board were allowed to do whatever the seemed fit to keep the African slaves in line. Most of the time slaves were beaten for asking questions or simply just acting out in some mannerism. Suicide was common for slaves on these voyages. Furthermore, the continuous suicides, sad living conditions, and bad treatment lead to low spirits for the slaves aboard the