Question

1. How would you describe the economic transactions described in the document? To what extent were they conducted between equal parties? Who, if anyone, held the upper hand in these dealings?

2.How might an African merchant have described the same transaction? How might Equiano describe it?

3.Notice the outcome of Phillips voyage to Barbados in the last two paragraphs. What does this tell you about European preferences for slaves, about the middle passage, and about the profitability of the enterprise?

Source: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1789)

Answer 1

Olaudah Equiano's narrative reveals the inequality and brutality of the slave trade, with Europeans holding the upper hand. The economic transactions were characterized by the exploitation of enslaved Africans, and the narrative also touches on the preferences and profitability of the enterprise.

Step-by-step explanation:

Olaudah Equiano's narrative provides a firsthand account of the slave trade from the perspective of someone who experienced it directly. The economic transactions described in Equiano's account demonstrate a brutal and dehumanizing process of enslavement, where Africans, including children, were captured or kidnapped and sold into slavery. These dealings were far from being conducted between equal parties; Africans who were captured had no power or say in the transactions, while European traders had the upper hand, both in terms of negotiation and firepower.

An African merchant might have described the same transaction as a necessary economic activity within the constraints of the context, possibly justifying it as a way to obtain prized European goods or to maintain the wealth and power of his kingdom. However, an individual like Equiano would recount these transactions as horrific and inhumane, highlighting the fear, suffering, and loss of dignity he and others endured. Phillips' voyage to Barbados in the last two paragraphs of Equiano's narrative reveals the high demand for young, healthy slaves and shows that Europeans selected slaves based on certain preferences, influencing the cruel nature of the middle passage. It highlights both the profitability of the slave trade for Europeans and the extreme hardship and dehumanization faced by the enslaved Africans. In summary, the transatlantic slave trade, as depicted by Equiano, was a triangular trade that was incredibly profitable for Europeans and detrimental to Africans. The demands of mercantilism and European economies created a trade system based on human misery and exploitation. The legacy of this trade is still felt in Africa today due to the lasting effects on the continent’s demographics, economy, and societies.