Inside the Slave Ship: Lecture Notes

Introduction

Early Life:
- Born in Igbo land (now Nigeria) in 1745
- Kidnapped at age 11, transported via the Middle Passage
- Enslaved on ships, in Virginia briefly
Freedom and Later Life:
- Bought freedom for 40 pounds
- Became a sailor, traveled extensively
- Converted to Christianity
- Marriage and family life in England
- Joined the abolitionist movement
Autobiography:
- "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano"
- Bestseller and influential in the abolition movement

Scale and Scope:
- 472,000 enslaved people brought to the US
- 12.5 million through the entire transatlantic slave trade
- Equiano's unique experience compared to others

Equiano's Origins:
- Possible birth in South Carolina vs Nigeria
- Importance of his narrative regardless of exact origins

Conditions and Design:
- Ships were specifically designed to deter uprisings
- Baricado (a bulwark) to protect crew
- Speculum orum used to force-feed enslaved people
Resistance:
- Slave ships were sites of resistance and cultural formation
- Fictive kinship developed among enslaved people

Rise of Empathy and Abolitionism:
- Rapid emergence in the late 18th century
- Influenced by ideas of human freedom
Key Figures and Strategies:
- Thomas Clarkson's role as an organizer
- Use of powerful imagery (e.g., Slave Ship Brooks diagram)
- Multinational cooperation among abolitionists
Opposition and Success:
- Economic arguments against abolition
- British abolition of slave trade in 1807, slavery in 1833

Upcoming Topics:
- Slavery in American colonies during the revolutionary period
- The life of Elizabeth Freeman and her impact on Massachusetts

Contact Information:

Next Episode Preview:

Exploration of how different states handled slavery in courts during the Revolution.