Survey of World History - Coursework Example

Survey of World History Order No. 312606 No. of pages: 7 6530 Introduction History is an indispensable tool that helps to link our past with our present by providing us with true facts and figures in order that we may better understand what is happening in our society today and where it is leading us in the future. Coming to terms and accepting the future largely depends on our understanding of the past. Historians and researchers have dug into our ancient past and unearthed some of the most interesting yet startling facts in history to help the later generations understand the bitter-sweet happenings of the ancient past. This research paper is going to make a clear investigation of the life and times of one of the most Spectacular figures in history named Olaudah Equiano, or, Gustavus Vassa who was an African slave. The study is going to make use of one Primary source and two secondary sources to support it. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano,1 or Gustavus Vassa the African (1789) which is our primary source for our investigation is an autobiography2 written by Equiano (c.1745-1797) himself. Equiano chronicles details of his birth in 1745 in a place Eboe in Guinea, which is now called Nigeria. He states that he was the son of one of the chiefs and enumerates how very early in his childhood, when he was about 11 years old, he and his sister were kidnapped and sold as a slave to what is called the New World. In sharp contrast to Equiano’s claim on his place of birth, historian Vincent Carretta tells us that may be Equiano was not born in Africa after all, and the evidence he has to prove this was the baptismal records of Equiano and a naval muster the roll. Carretta suggests that there is a possibility that Equiano could have been born in one of the thirteen British colonies situated in South Carolina. A captain in the Royal Navy named Michael Pascal was his first master and he was later sold to a Quaker merchant named Robert King. From his narrative we could gauge that Equiano was a very hardworking person, street smart and thrifty because he had put in a lot of hard work and by trading carefully and saving cautiously use able to earn his freedom by paying a good price for it. In His autobiography Equiano tells us that he was renamed Gustavus Vassa3 by Pascal, after a Swedish nobleman belonging to the 16th century who fought for Swedish independence against the Danes. Equiano narrates how he became a seaman and traveled across the globe to places like the Caribbean, Mediterranean, the Arctic and Atlantic too. From the information in the source we could guess that Equiano was an adventurous person who loved the sea and liked to travel a lot. Later on, Equiano went to London and soon involved himself in a movement dedicated to the abolishing of slave trade and spent a lot of effort in fighting for the cause of the downtrodden slaves. These attempts soon led him on the pathway of writing and publishing. These narrations lead us true believe that Equiano was not only patriotic but also well educated. It also shows that you identified well with the slaves and understood their plight and problems because he too was once a slave. Equiano’s conversion4 to Christianity also featured prominently in his autobiography which he says took place on his voyage to Spain. He is quoted to have said that, that he saw the bright beams of heavenly light and was born again. (Equiano) Though this act seemed to be one of the most precious moments in his life, yet many secular readers belonging to the 20th century thought it to be not at all important. His autobiography titled ‘The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa the African’ (1789) went on to become a bestseller and was a great influence on all those people fighting for the antislavery cause, making Equiano a very affluent man. The book refers to the word ‘humanity’ calling attention to his audience that slavery was an inhuman act and this cruelty is the outcome of atrocious human misery. The act of Equiano of writing his own autobiography could be considered as a strong political stunt because it depicts black self-representation and was a tool in shaping History to some extent. Almost throughout the 1790’s Equiano campaigned against the scourge of slavery thereby bringing many changes into his personal life. In 1792, he got married to Susanna Cullen, an English woman and was blessed with two daughters. Finally, in 1797, Equiano breathed his last, very much before slavery was abolished. Luis Alberto Urrea,5 a famous novelist, essayist, poet and journalists in an interview with Jill Owens (2009) which is one of our secondary sources for our research, discusses the tortured relationship shared between Mexico and the United States. His early childhood was rough and disturbing and this essence is reflected in all his writings. Even though slavery has ended long ago, yet humanity faces segregation and discrimination due to racism, and modern day society in some way or the other are bound by many disturbing factors. He speaks vehemently on one of the most debated topics which is immigration of people from different countries that is escalating to heights and placing them at a great risk. Sharing his thoughts and comments with Jill Owens in the interview he speaks of the situation faced by the Mexicans in Mexico. Though women were not given important roles in the field of politics, yet now Mexico is undergoing a sea change with women assuming powerful political positions and wielding power like never before. Urrea refers to this as “groundswell of folk feminism,” (Urrea,) that is leading these women to fill the vacuum thereby revolutionizing the face of Mexico. This was something unheard of during the era of slavery. In a larger global context the Mexican/ American writer enlightens us on the present day relationship share by Mexico the U.S. Drug trade in Mexico is worse than in the US and there are many disturbing issues like drug pedaling, kidnapping, extortion and trafficking that causes endless problems especially at the US/Mexican border. However, the integration of the web between the US and Mexico has served to boost the local economy and the resulting growth has placed a lot of power in the hands of the common man and help him to shape his own destiny. ‘Bernal Diaz and the Conquest of New Spain’ is another secondary source for this paper. It highlights the story of the conquest between the Mexicans and the Spaniards and tells us how Mexico was conquered by them. In the introduction in his book J.M Cohen states that Diazs book is a report on the overthrow of a great empire by a company of adventurers, inspired partly by a sense of mission and partly by a crude greed for gold. Their success, even their survival, could in his belief be accounted for only by the miraculous intervention of God and the Saints, who wished New Spain to be added to the realm of Christ and the Emperor Charles V (Diaz, 1963, 7). According to Diaz, Mexicans are looked upon as savages while the Spaniards were on a religious mission decreed by God and so were justified. In Diaz’s opinion, the Indians are an inferior lot while the Spaniards are superior, so they had every right to tailor the Indians in the way they need to be fashioned, so that they could be of good service to the Spaniards. To the author, Hernando Cortes was right in his decision to succeed at all costs. As he narrates in his book, ‘Bernal Diaz and the Conquest of New Spain’ Here in this island the Captain began to command energetically, and Our Lord so favored him that whatever he touched succeeded, especially the pacification of the people and towns thereabouts (Diaz, 1963, 58).6 This particular source by Bernal Diaz seems biased for the fact that he takes sides, forms his opinion and sticks to it. It intends to woo an audience through a religious point of view, but it fails to strike a balance. Works Cited Olaudah Equiano, or, Gustavus Vassa, the African. Race, Racism and the Black Atlantic http://www.brycchancarey.com/equiano/ Text © Brycchan Carey 2000-2005 Secondary Sources - Interview Jill Owens (2009) Interview: Luis Alberto Urrea. www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=1-9780312393557-1 Bernal Diaz, The Rise of the West and New Origins, The Conquest of New Spain. www.histories-humanities.tcd.ie/riseofthewest/munit3.php Read More