Autobiography: Quobna Ottobah Cugoano - Research Paper Example

Eighteen’s century, the time when Ottobah Cugoano lived, is the time of both the slave trade blossoming as well as the time when the movement to stopslave trade comes to its highlight. An antislavery movement had its rise starting 1688 by the meeting Quakers family held in Germantown in Philadelphia, where the question was first raised about moral rights of any Christian to enslave another human being. That was the first time white community openly discussed that issue, and slavery was condemned as a product of human greed. At that time, the massive volume had a transatlantic slave trade, which is a trade that took place across the Atlantic Ocean, with the majority of slaves coming from central and western parts of Africa. They were transported to Europe and America to labor on coffee, cocoa, cotton and sugar plantations, in rice fields, the construction industry or even to work simply as servants. Though slavery was practiced in some parts of Africa even before the beginning of the Atlantic slave trade, however there were millions of Africans transported to Europe or America, most of them being taken into slavery during wars or raids as well as kidnapped. It may be said of the Europeans, that they have made use of every insidious methods to procure slaves wherever they can, and in whatever manner they can lay hold of them, and that their forts and factories are the avowed dons of thieves for robbers, plunderers and depredators. (Cugoano 27) They were subject to cruelty, suffering, starvation and more. A great number of slaves were dying during their trip to Europe or America, then, when laboring, they were dying because of ill treatment, malnutrition and exhaustion. Cugoano became one of the first Afro-Britons who publicly fought against African slave trade and slavery. Ottobah Cugoano was born in 1757 in the city Agimaque which is on the Gold Coast Fante near Assinie. Presently, this is a country of Ghana. His name, which he probably received a week after he was born, shows his Alkan-speaking heritage. Quabna is an Alkan-day name for a male born on Tuesday. His father was a relative to Fante’s rulers and a friend of the king of Agimaque Ambro Accasa, so Cugoano visited king’s court frequently, and one can say, was raised there and became friends with many of king’s children. (Rucker 33-34) At the age of 13, when he was visiting his uncles, along with the other 20 children, he was kidnapped when playing in woods and fields. I was early snatched away from my native country with about eighteen to twenty more boys and girls, as we were playing in the fields. We lived but a few days journey from the coast where we were kidnapped, and as we were decoyed and drove along, we were soon conducted to a factory, and from thence, in the fashionable way of traffic, consigned to Grenada. (Cugoano 6) When they arrived to a factory, for several days he did not know what exactly was happening to him, as the children that were seized were told they came to the city to see the ruler, but then: As I was ordered out, the horrors I soon saw and felt, cannot be well described; I saw many of my miserable countrymen chain two and two; some head-cuffed, and some with their hands tied behind. We were conducted along by a guard…when the vessel arrived to conduct us away to the ship, it was a most horrible scene; there was nothing to be heard but rattling of chains, smacking of whips, and the groans and cries of our fellow men. Some would not stir from the ground, when they were lashed and beat in the most horrible manner. (9) That is what was happening to many black people that were taken into slavery on the coasts of Africa. They were brought to the large forts called the factories. Then, they were boarded the ship to travel across the Atlantic Ocean. The full cargo of slaves would hold 350-600 people on one sheep. There were some practices on the ships to lessen the death rates among slaves. Those were enforces “dancing” above deck (as an exercise) and force-feeding of those who tried to starve themselves. The filthy inhuman conditions on board were often resulting in spreading fatal diseases. Some slaves would commit suicide by jumping over the board. To give any just conception of the barbarous traffic carried on at those factories, it would be out of my power to describe the miserable situation of the poor Africans, which by the craft of wicked men daily become prey, though I have seen enough of their misery as well as read; no description can give an adequate idea of the horror of their feelings, and the dreadful calamities they undergo (94) The ship Cugoano had to travel on had a full load of Africans, all in grave conditions. Men were chained, and women were often raped. Slaves thought of a plan of burning the ship down, but that plan was discovered and a blood scene followed as ship’s crew punished the slaves. When we were put on ship, we saw several black merchants coming on board, but we were all drove into our holes... In this situation we continued several days in sight of our native land…And when we found ourselves at last taken away, death was more preferable than life, and a plan was concerted among us, that we might burn and blow up the ship, and to perish altogether in flames; but we were betrayed by one of our own countrywomen…it was common for the dirty sailors to take the African women and lie upon their bodies; but the man were chained and pent in holes. It was the women and boys which were to burn the ship. (10) The ship disembarked in Grenada and for the next ten months Cugoano worked at the sugar plantations, where he witnessed more mistreating of slaves: bitter poverty, hunger and hard labor, severe exemplary punishments for eating even a bit of a sugar cane, pitiless beating and lashing and more. Every day I saw the most dreadful scenes of misery and cruelty. My miserable companions were often cruelly lashed, and as it were cut to pieces. I saw a slave receive twenty four lashes of the whip for being seen in church on a Sunday instead of going to work. (11) He was reflecting on white men’s cruelty, remembering that back home some African’s also had slaves, which they got after the war or as a debt payment. But I may safely say, that all the poverty and misery that any of the inhabitants of Africa meet with among themselves, is far inferior to the inhospitable regions of misery which they meet with in the West-Indies, where their hard-hearted overseers have neither regard to the law of God, nor the life of their fellow-men.(12) After working on plantations and another year living in different locations he was purchased by Alexander Campbell. His owner (Cugoano calls him “a gentlemen”) took him to England just months after the landmark high court ruling on June 22, 1772, by Lord Mansfield, known as Somerset Decision. According to this ruling the slave owners could not use the authority to forcibly return run-away slaves to the colony, and though this did not abolish the slavery in England all together, it did weakened it greatly as now slaves could legally free themselves by escaping. Here, in England, still a slave, Cugoano learned to read and write. After coming to England, and seeing others write and read, I had a strong desire to learn, and getting what assistance I could, I applied myself to learn reading and writing, which soon became my recreation, pleasure and delight, and when my master perceived that I could write some, he sent me to a proper school for that purpose to learn (12) At what point and by what means Cugoano got his freedom, there is no record. However, Afro-Britons considered it a safeguard being baptized and becoming a Christian, so they advised Cugoano to get baptized to ensure he will not be re-enslaved. In 1773 Cugoano was baptized as “John Stuart” at St. James’ Church. (Hinks 23) Soon after that he became very active in London African community’s group Sons of Africa and their campaign to abolish slavery. We do not know what was happening to him since then until 1784 when he was employed, as a free servant, by two well-known London artists - Richard and Maria Cosway. Cugoano appeared in several paintings by Cosways. Also, while living with them he got introduced to some public figures of the time such as poet and abolitionist William Blake, painter Sir Joshua Reynolds, and abolitionist Granville Sharp. (Hinks 203) Later he also got to know Thomas Clarkson. As a member of Sons of Africa, he was actively fighting for the rights of Africans in London. On July 28, 1786 Cugoano informed Granville Sharpe about grave condition of the enslaved man Harry Demane, who was re-captured by his master and was fastened to the mast of the ship that was heading West Indies. Cugoano … [was] assiduous in brining public attention to the continued violations of [Somerset] law of freedom. They intervened with varying degrees of success in a number of cases to prevent the forced deportation and reenslavement of ex-slaves who had either escaped or had been brought onto English soil. Cugoano, for example, oversaw the successful application of Somerset in the attempt to kidnap and deportation of Henry Demane to the West Indies in 1786. (Wong 32) Demane was saved and freed from the ship while it was already under the sail. In the same year, Cugoano writes to Prince of Wales pleading abolition of slave trade and slavery. For the next three years he continues writing campaign both on his own as well as together with his friend Equiano and his group Sons of Africa. They wrote many letters to the Prime minister, to parliment members, governors etc – to powerful people who, they thought, could help the abolition. They also wrote to newspapers. At the same time as writing letters, Cugoano also works on writing a book Thoughts and Sentiments on the Evil and Wicked Traffic of the Human Species, and he publishes it in 1787. This book became the first of the kind to publicly demand abolition both of slave trade as well as slavery altogether and suddenly and freeing enslaved Africans; and Cugoano became the first published African former slave, who wrote a historic work on slavery, sharing his personal life story and experience; he was also the first writer to fight for the believe that enslaved Africans had not only a right but a moral duty to resist slavery. It seems, Olaudah Equiano – Cugoano’s friend and another antislavery campaigner, former African slave himself - may have helped to revise the first draft of the book, and it is believed that Clarkson or Sharp were supervising Cugoano’s theological arguments. After the first publication in 1787, the book became sensational and attracted many readers and was even translated into French a year later. It was distributed by subscription and went through several printings during the first year of its publication. The book had seen another, shorter edition in 1791, in which Cugoano made known his intent to establish an African school in London. There are many issues Cugoano disputes in his book. He makes an extensive study of the Africans’ history starting from the Creation time, according to the Bible. He writes powerfully that slavery was morally wrong; that every men in Britain was to a certain degree responsible for slavery; he argues the statement that position of black slaves are better than poor whites. He confesses that there is an ancient history of slavery, that during the course of history some servants were tricked or sold into slavery, or forced into becoming bond servants in order to survive. Yet those practices were far from being as inhuman and cruel as the slavery on the 16th century (Potkay143); he also goes on to writing that the fact of slavery being a historic account does not substantiate its existence and continuity at the present time. He crushes the argument that black people were specially designed by God to be slaves; he refutes theological and biblical justifications for slavery and shows that all men are equal. …the difference of color among men is only incidental, equally natural to all, and agreeable to the place of their habitation; and that if nothing else be different or contrary among them, but the features of complexion, in that respect, they are all equally alike entitled to the enjoyment of every mercy of God. (Cugoano 32) He appeals to humanitarian ideas on Enlightened Europe about dignity of black people and that Britain should set an example to other countries by being the first to abolish this cruelty; if not, he writes that God will punish Britain for its inhumanity because “when the nation or people do wickedly, and commit cruelties and devastations upon others, enslave them, it cannot be expected that they should be attended with the blessings of God” (89); he vehemently criticized the Transatlantic slave trade and some legislations that were instated to support it; he encourages people not to consume sugar that was produced by enslaved people in the West Indies. He also believed that trade with Africa should replace the trade in Africans. In this manuscript Cugoano also criticizes another transatlantic slave trade and argues the European’s right for it – colonization and slave trade with America. He criticizes Britain’ policy of investing money in enlarging its territories overseas, while being in debt. The history of those dreadfully perfidious methods of forming settlements, and acquiring riches and territory, would make humanity tremble, and even recoil, at the enjoyment of such acquisitions and become reverted into rage and indignation at such horrible and barbarous cruelty. (82) Cugoano was very bold and outspoken for his time. He used rhetorical arguments to bust myths around nature of Africans and to leave no ethical alternative but to abolish the whole institution of slavery. First, I would propose, that there ought to be days of mourning and fasting appointed to make enquiry into that great and preeminent evil for many years…Secondly, I would propose that a total abolition of slavery should be made and proclaimed; and that an universal emancipation of slaves should begin from the date thereof. (130) Not much is known about his life after the 1791. Though it is not known when exactly he stopped working for Cosways, it is noted that after 1791 he was active working with Sierra Leone Company, recruiting free Africans from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick for resettlement to Sierre Leone. He himself stated his plans to sail to Sierra Leone to open a school for repatriated Africans. There are no more historical records of Cugoano’s later life and carrier. French writer Henri Grégoire says Cugoano married an English woman. Other than that, we do not have any information on his life or death, or of his activities. Works cited Cugoano, Ottobah. Thoughts and sentiments on the evil and wicked traffic of the slavery and of the commerce of the human species.London, 1787. Reprint Hinks, Peter P., McKivigan, John R., and Williams, Owen Encyclopedia of antislavery and abolition Greenwood Press, Westport, CT. (2007). Print Potkay, Adam, Burr, Sandra. Black Atlantic Writers of the 18th Century. St. Martins Press. NY. 1995. Print Rodriguez, Junius P. The historical encyclopedia of World slavery, ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, CA. (1997). Print Rucker, Walter C. and Alexander, Leslie M. California Encyclopedia of African American History, Vol 1. ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, CA.(2010). Print Thomas, Helen, Dr. Romanticism and slave narratives: transatlantic testimonies.Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, UK, 2000. Print Wong, Edlie L., Neither fugitive nor free: Atlantic slavery, freedom suits, and the legal culture of travel. New York University Press, 2009. Print "Is it not strange to think, that they who ought to be considered as the most learned and civilized people in the world, that they should carry on a traffic of the most barbarous cruelty and injustice, and that many think slavery, robbery and murder no crime?" "If any man should buy another man and compel him to his service and slavery without any agreement of that man to serve him, the enslaver is a robber. It is as much the duty of a man who is robbed in that manner to get out of the hands of his enslaver, as it is for any honest community of men to get out of the hands of rogues and villains." Read More