Primary Resource Review 2

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Article Review
Author’s message/agenda
Olaudah Equiano’s narrative was meant to inspire people to take action against the slave trade. His narration about his awful experience during pre-slavery in West Africa and dreaded accounts of victims in his letter captured the attention of the British who later managed to end the slave trade.
At the start of Equiano’s letter, he shows confidence that his work will be a source of hope to his friends in captivity. His main agenda was to criticize slave trade through his Narrative. His personal life during pre-slavery depicts how it affects everyone. Africans were mercilessly abducted from their homes. “I was immediately tossed up to see if I were sound…” Equiano explains how he was converted to terror when he was on board.
Mothers and children were separated and subjected to mistreatments and nasty punishments for no reasons. “… and it was very moving on this occasion, to see and hear their cries at parting..,” he recalled. Moreover, Christians were led astray. This account of horrible punishments and abuse was meant to show the British navy their wrong ways and subsequently the consequences.
Equiano’s other agenda also focuses on the loss of identity as a result of being enslaved. He describes how he was deprived of identity early in his life but was able to mold himself despite his suffering. He had no status. He was imperceptible and had no freedom of movement, his family or property.

Equiano embarked on a journey to discover his self, but slavery was a hindrance. He later acquired self-gratification only after he was freed. He converted to Christianity and became a British citizen.
The subjects of liberation and freedom are also brought out in his narrative. After going through slavery, he was able to be released by Robert King. He devoted his work to influence political leaders into liberation of millions of his brethren were still in bondage. He argues that their physical liberation would also restore their dignity as Africans.
Comparison to the main document
Gottlieb Miltenberger’s narrative centers on indentured servants who were a vital source of labor in America during the 18th century. They agreed to work for their masters for payment inform of contracts or free food. These immigrants often travel to America with the hope of securing jobs, learning certain skills and become free after some years usually four to five years. Whereas, Olaudah Equiano’s The African Slave Trade focuses on Africans took forcefully to captivity by the British. These slaves are bought and sold without knowledge of whether they will be set free or not. Equiano was only able to buy his freedom after being auctioned multiple times. He went through slavery for seven years in Britain and Caribbean.
Although Gottlieb went into captivity willingly, both writers experienced hardships and narrate poor living conditions African slaves are subjected to. Gottlieb went to Pennsylvania, William Penn’s colony in the 17th century. He described the pain they experienced as barbaric. He painfully narrates the misery, headache, constipation, and all sorts of sickness that led to the death of thousands of indentured slaves during the voyage to America. “Children from 1 to 7 years rarely survive the voyage…all of them were thrown into the sea.” he writes. He observed that upon arrival there was no formal agreement or contract for indentures but auctioning. Equiano was also sold several times, owned to slavery with no rights. Mothers and children were violated, subjected to mistreatments and nasty punishments for no reasons.
In both letters, the masters determine how the servants are treated. Running away would attract a heavy punishment. Gottlieb writes that during slavery, anyone who runs away from his masters would not go far. He writes “good provision has been made for such cases so that a runaway is soon recovered. He who detains or returns a deserter receives a good reward.” He or she, when caught, would serve a harsh punishment. Running away for a day would attract a one-week punishment, for a month half a year and a week a month.
Equiano also reveals that they were at the mercy of their masters as they were deprived of the chance to go back home.
Works Cited
Marcus, Robert D., David Burner, and Anthony Marcus. America Firsthand: Volume Two:
Readings from Reconstruction to the Present. Vol. 2. Macmillan, 2006.
Mittelberger, Gottlieb. “On the Misfortune of Indentured Servants.” (2013).