Olaudah Equiano: African Slave Kidnapped & Sold at Age 11 - Essay Sample

Introduction

Olaudah Equiano was an African slave born in 1745 in Essaka, a small village at the coast of what is currently known as Nigeria. At the age of 11, he was kidnapped along his sister by slave traders heading to the West Indies. He was separated from his sister and sold to an African master who used him for domestic work. He was then sold one of the captains of Royal Navy, Michael Pascal who gave him the name Gustavus Vassa that he used for the rest of his life. Working with the naval vessels along his master helped him gain naval training and acquired the necessary skills in seamanship, which made him very valuable. Equiano, while still in slavery, travelled extensively, visiting numerous states such as Holland, Gilbraltar, Holand, Caribbean, Pennyslavia as he got sold from one master to the other sailing along captains in numerous voyages. In 1766, Equiano earned his freedom and eventually left the British colonies. In his narrative, Equiano explains that he went through terrifying events in his life, but in the end, he came to see the "invisible hand of God" (Equiano, 50). Therefore, during his slavery Equiano lived a religious life in which he depicts Christianity and Christians to be moral which is the opposite of what the white slaveholders did and lived.

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Equiano was a slave whose Christian beliefs conflicted with those of his slaveholders who used the Bible to patronage their evil doings. According to Equiano, true Christianity is compassionate and merciful and intends no harm to others. His autobiography provides the many sects of Christianity, exposing the white Christians who engaged in slavery, perverting their faith and not living up to the simple tenets of the Bible. As Equiano travelled with his slaveholders, he witnessed how his fellow Africans were being treated with cruelty, which he argues were against the Bible. When working for Pascal, he had cargoes of Negroes to whom the whites committed various depredations including sexually abusing the female slaves. In West Indies, wives and husbands went separate ways while children were left with no parents. According to Equiano slave trade gave slave owners dominion over their human beings whom they treated with much cruelty, which he argues in his narrative were against God's will. The evil acts, as Equiano puts it, was a disgrace both to humanity and Christianity. Slaves were beaten, overworked and branded their masters names among other evil deeds. Equiano, in his writings, condemns such acts and perceives them as ungodly and they do not concur with the Christian values and beliefs. Instead of abusing them, Equiano suggests that treating slaves as human beings would still make them faithful, vigorous and intelligent which in turn would spread happiness, prosperity and peace instead of fear and hatred.

Equiano depicts Christianity as the true way of life that leads and guides people to the right path in both the good and tough times. He lived a miserable life working for the rich masters but his strong faith in God kept him moving. He believed that God was with Him throughout his hard times, and his escape from the hands of his slaveholders was all His plan. In his narrative, Equiano refers to the Creator as the one "who in very deed leads the blind in a way they know not (Equiano, 15)". He believed that the Lord was behind every breakthrough in his life while he was in slavery. When in Virginia working for Campbell, quite distressed with no one to talk to, he believes that the Creator came forth to his comfort. When he was shipped to England, a voyage that pleased Equiano, he had more sails to rest on, more food and the company of more kind people which was a relief from the life he had in his former master's house. Equiano's life was also much better while in England, a condition whose gratitude he accords to the Lord in his narrative. Therefore, according to Equiano Christianity is not just a religion but an integral component of a person's life, which through it, people acquire comfort in times of need and solutions when troubled.

Furthermore, Equiano depicts Christians to be righteous beings who instead of showing cruelty to fellow human beings, they demonstrate empathy and kindness to everyone. Throughout his narrative, Equiano condemns all the evil acts of the slaveholders and the cruelty they showed to the slaves as it is unexpected of Christians to be that heartless and vindictive. According to Christianity, " no unclean person, no unholy thing, can enter into the kingdom of God (Equiano, 42)." Equiano depicted Christianity to be a religion of righteousness. Unlike the hypocritical slaveholders who allowed lust, pride, greed and anger in their hearts, Equiano portrays Christians to be humble and moral individuals. In his life, he controlled his pride and always turned to God for everything. He trying to live up to God's Commandments and when he claimed that he kept eight commandments out of the ten which was considered unrighteous as "one sine unatoned for was as sufficient to damn a soul as one leak was to sink a ship" (Equiano, 46).". His autobiography evinces the virtue of patience when he lived as a slave hoping that one day God would grant him his liberty. He lived an honest life, did not despise anyone and he showed kindness and mercy to those around him including the slaves, which is expected of Christians. In his narrative, Equiano distinguishes the hypocrisy of slaveholders and the true Christianity that he practised with his Quaker and Methodist friends. Equiano is considered a portrayal of a true Christian, morally upright and living up to God's will.

Moreover, according to Equiano's journey to escape from slavery, it can be presumed that Christianity is slavery on its own as it enslaves its true believers to do that which is only permitted in the Bible; otherwise they would be sinning. Equiano was confined to the rules in the Bible, and although he wanted to go back home, he wanted to do it in a way that pleased God. According to his narrative, Equiano used the phrase, " if it should please God" on several occasions, which depicts Christianity as slavery that enchained him to do only what pleases the Creator otherwise he would fall in the same category as those white Christian slaveholders whose acts were full of hypocrisy (Equiano, 33, 49). For instance, in 1765 when preparing for the voyage to Philadelphia, he hoped to find enough money that would buy him freedom as soon as possible but only if it pleased God. Equiano believed that he would only be freed if it was the will of God, but if it was not His will to be freed, then it would not happen. Equiano could have plotted his escape earlier as every slave did, but he never attempted to because he wanted to gain his freedom the honest way that is along God's will, which prolonged his stay in slavery. His Christian faith and beliefs did not allow him to escape and thus he plotted to purchase freedom while praying to God for his liberty.

Conclusion

Conclusively, religion marks the heart of the long journey of Equiano's personal life. His baptism further marked his identity as a Christian in which he portrayed what is expected of those who referred to themselves as Christians. Equiano depicts Christianity and Christians to be compassionate, righteous and kind, showing or intending no harm to fellow human beings. Therefore, Equiano lived that life that portrayed the morality of Christianity and Christians. Although the religion enslaves its believers to pleasing God, Christianity is peaceful, and Christians treat everyone with kindness and without discrimination.