Olaudah Equiano

889 Words4 Pages

My name is Olaudah Equiano. I was born in the Eboe of Africa. While I was just a young child, my sister and I were taken by kidnappers and they sold us to these slave traders. This was the worst and terrifying day of my life. I was sent to the West Indies or the island of Barbados. The ship I was on was horrific, put together with no care of sex or gender. There were many people who had died due to the harsh inhumane condition we was in. Lucky I was the one of few who survived. I finally arrived and went into a merchant yard where we were bear skin and men of wealth came in where they examined our mouths and other body parts. I was purchased by Michael Henry Pascal, who told me that I am here to work once I get on his land. Riding to the …show more content…

I also started jotting down the extremely inhumane punishment inflicted against the free Africans who messed around on the plantations there. I started realizing that free blacks in some ways were worse off than slaves, unfortunately. Since they had no master to look out for them, and no opportunities for work or to make a life. Master King and Captain Thomas Farmer took me as a sailor on several of their voyages, in which I distinguished myself from the rest of the slaves. One day Master King and Captain Farmer accused me once of planning an escape, which I had never planned to do but I had evidence of loyalty which destroyed their fears of me running away. They were feeling guilty over the accusation that Master King promised to lend me money towards my freedom if the slave could raise a good amount himself. I finally raised enough money to purchase my manumission in July of 1766. It was most definitely the happiest day of his life. My ambition, my dreams through all these hard years has finally paid off in getting my freedom. I am a FREE MAN. I was also indebted to the kindness of Farmer and Master King. I still continued to sail with them but this time I was a paid sailor. I started traveling the world. I traveled to amazing places such as Turkey, Martinico, Georgia, Montserrat, Grenada, France, and even to the North Pole. Throughout these voyages, I proved to myself that I am and can