Slave Trade: The Autobiography Of Olaudah Equiano

The Atlantic slave trade has been viewed very differently by many people. The Europeans and Africans, both had different views within their own culture. To the slaves being sold and bought it was a tragedy. In some kingdoms, like the Kongo, Portuguese's tried to stop slavery before it reached them. Most of these efforts were found in vain and the slave trade ended up hurting them more in the end because the kingdoms would go into a panic trying to keep power. There merchants were making enough money and had enough support from kings that they kept the slave trade going. The slaves had essentially turned into a product that was to trade rather than the human beings they were. Throughout the Atlantic Slave Trade there was many roles that …show more content…
Equiano was born to a family with slaves in Africa and talks about how his dad bought and sold slaves in marketplaces. He says “they were the only prisoners of war” or “convicted of kidnapping or adultery.”1 Because of this, it gives a sense of these people not being slaves but rather they just being punished for wrongdoings or misfortune. Equiano eventually ended up in Barbados and was tied up with the other slaves to be sold. The autobiography shows the differences between the "ways slaves were treated in Africa and on the ships going to the slave auctions".2 In Africa, some people mistreated them and some people gave them an equal feeling with the family that owned them. It was quite a shock to even those already in slavery because of the cruelty they experienced on the slave ships. The Africans in slavery obviously didn’t like being a slave, but they learned to hate it when they changed hands to the European slave …show more content…
He talks highly of what they do and how the treatment is humane because the european king would not stand for otherwise. He says that the branding “caus’d but little pain”3 which was obviously a lie to make anyone reading feel better about slavery and the slave trade. Thomas Phillips felt as if the slave trade wasn’t bad and was just another thread to be in. He thought of it as doing the king's work, so he was higher up by working for the king. Thomas Phillips also talked about how they paid for the slaves and the exchange rate for them. The value of slaves was based on cowries or small shells that the Africans used as a currency. They still dealt with other items, such as brass, necklaces, or other jewelry.4 If you didn’t have any of these, they wouldn’t deal with you in any way or fashion. Thomas “bought [his] compliment of 700 slaves”5 which was quite a high number for him to have sold. Thomas used a specific word choice to paint his side of the slave trade in a positive light. He explained how they had barely hurt the slaves because it would decrease the value. He also discussed how some slaves were worth more than others. Since he used this specific rhetoric, it would sound to anyone that didn’t know any different that the slave trade was a harmless thread to be