History 131
Dr. C. Weber
9F
Study Guide: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano . . .
*Why is Equiano a significant person in history, i.e. why is his book still in print?
Part/Week I:
From Allison’s The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (2nd ed.):
A. INTRODUCTION: EQUIANO’S WORLDS (Equiano, pp. 7-33)
In what ways is Equiano’s life and book unique? What was life in Africa like? Describe
such things as the practices and characteristics of the slavery system, the Atlantic economy and
trade network, his “travels,” the reasons for “his ambiguous status,” his spiritual pilgrimage and
relationship to Christianity, his many skills and roles, the Annis incident.
Why was slavery so important and so difficult to stop? What were the roots of the antislavery movement? What happened in the U.S.? What role did religion play? How did Equiano
link American and British antislavery? What was the Zong incident and what did it demonstrate?
Who was James Tobin? What were some of the problems with abolitionists?
In what ways did slaves identify themselves as Africans? Why was Equiano’s identity
“dilemma” for him?
What are the issues over Equiano’s origins?
How did Equiano approach antislavery? What was the coalition of 1788 and what was
Equiano’s role? What reasons did he give against slavery? What benefits does he say would
ensue from the ending of slavery? What was the reason for his book’s popularity?
What characterizes slave narratives and Equiano’s in particular?
What about his marriage and daughters? What legacy did he leave? How did he view the
future?
B. CHAPTER 1 (Equiano, pp. 42-56)
What characterized his account? What is the kingdom of Benin? What is African slavery
and its comparison to the West Indies? What are the African customs and lifestyle? What was
their religion and role of religious people? How does he explain color (racial differences)?
C. CHAPTER 2 (Equiano, pp. 57-69)
How was he raised as a child? How did he end up a slave? What were the conditions like on
the ship and what were his feelings? What happens at Barbados?
NOTE: Study maps on pp. 2-5.
D. PHILIP CURTIN’S EXCERPTS FROM “TROPICAL ATLANTIC IN THE AGE
OF THE SLAVE TRADE” (on web site: www. wheaton.edu/history/weberc)
What is the definition of and the characteristics of the “plantation complex”? What are its
intercontinental connections?
How did sugar production provide the basis for the plantation complex? How did it expand?
When did the plantation complex become important in the American South? What were its
unique traits? Continued on next page.
2
What is the “democratic revolution” and its time frame and where was it most prominent?
What was the process of emancipation? What was the French situation? How was the slave trade
and slavery abolished?
Part/Week II: Equiano, pp. 70-182 (focus on answers to questions below)
*According to Equiano, what role does Providence play?
What experiences shape Equiano’s life and thought in chapters 3 through 5? What is the
meaning of his new name Gustavus Vassa? How was he involved in the Seven Years’ War? How
did his West Indian experience shape his views on slavery? What fears did he have of Europeans?
What were the circumstances of his baptism? What did he learn from his travels in the
Mediterranean? Describe his relationship to Robert King. What were Equiano’s tasks? What did
he experience of the treatment of Negroes? of the practices of slavery? Why did he not run away?
What were his church experiences? How did he obtain his manumission? What are the
“disagreeable incidents” (pp. 151-152)?
In chapter 9 what role did Mr. King, Miss Guerins, and Capt. Pascal play? What profession
did he learn? What did the Inquisition do (p. 158)?
What was his Christian experience and pilgrimage as recounted in chapter 10? What is his
experience with Granville Sharp? With John Annis? Why do you feel he gives such prominence
to his conversion?
What does one learn about the relationship of slaves to other people like other slaves,
owners, Europeans in general, etc.?
Part/Week III:
A. EQUIANO, pp. 183-214
What were his religious experiences (pp. 183-188)? Who is St. Benedict the Black?
Why was his life more uniform after 1777? What were the circumstances under which he
almost became a missionary? What was his experience with the Quakers? Why was he to go to
Sierra Leone? What dishonesty did he encounter? Why did he write to the Queen? What is his
participation in the anti-slavery movement? What are his reasons and arguments against slavery?
What does Equiano tell us about religion and commerce in the 18th c.?
B. DOCUMENTS ON ENLIGHTENMENT POLITICAL IDEALS (From web site indicated
above in Week I.D.)
American Declaration of Independence (1776): What are individual rights and society’s
rights? What determines these? What is the legitimate basis for government? for revolution?
What are the abuses and oppressions of the King and what do these tell us about basic rights?
What are property rights? Is the case for independence a convincing one? Is there recognition of
divine power?
French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789): This is often considered more
far-teaching in terms of rights than the American Declaration. Why would this be? What is the
rationale for the statement? What rights are stipulated? What is the basis for individual and
societal rights? What is the purpose of the law? What are property rights? Is there recognition of
divine power?
Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen (1791). How is this similar and
dissimilar to the Declaration of the Rights of Man? What is the justification for their rights? What
3
rights are they calling for? What is the basis for sovereignty, liberty, justice, the law, the state, and
property? What is the role of reason? Is there recognition of divine power?