Isela Larreinaga
English 302
Professor Rumore
The first image being presented above depicts the infamous Transatlantic slave trade that occurred between the 16th century and 19th century which includes the participation of the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Although the trade is mainly recognized for the transportation of enslaved people, it also brought on board manufactured goods, live animals, and anything else that was deemed profitable. It’s crucial to understand that back then, boats weren’t sanitary or safe for months worth of traveling. Many of those who were taken abroad against their free will ended up dying from malnutrition, unsanitary conditions, and harsh treatment while being on the boat. This inevitably led to the dumping of the deceased bodies into the ocean’s water, never to be remembered again. As you can see within the image, there were many ports of slave trading, it was almost a never ending cycle of transportation. People were kidnapped from different areas in Africa, some being transported to England first, then to the colonies and others straight to the caribbean islands. Once the slaves were dropped off to their sellers / purchasers, the ships were then used to export goods like crops, and sugar. The Transatlantic trade was a way of income for the colonizers yet it was one of the most dehumanizing acts to be committed.
The second image takes place in Delaware, one of the 13 colonies back then. An enslaved man is unwillingly tied up against the wooden post; He’s about to endure a whipping from the white man (one of many forms of punishment that enslaved people had to take). Oftentimes, the reasoning for punishment can be as insignificant as miscounting the amount of crops there is, but making any type of mistake comes with the brutal beating and humiliation. It’s also key to note that one didn’t particularly have to be the owner to punish them. It goes to show the abuse of power that lied heavily on their shoulders and the remorse one lacked. The image shows the man ready to be punished and most likely forced to continue their work as if nothing happened. It doesn’t matter if the person ended up with bruises, cuts, or marks – there was work needed to be done and they were the only ones who could get it done (in the owner’s perspective anyways). Although in the drawing it shows only two men, it wasn’t always that way. I mentioned before that enslaved people were humiliated and belittled to the point of no return; When a punishment was in order, other people were brought to watch the whipping, flogging, and so on. It almost became a game for many of the slave-owners and they believed bringing people in to watch was just another layer of amusement to them.
I chose these two sources as my objects because of the connections it brings to one of the novels we’ve read, Olaudah Equiano: The Interesting Narrative and Other Writings. Within this novel, we’re presented with the life story of a man who was forcibly taken from his home and sold into slavery. Equiano speaks on the horrors of slavery and what he embarked on in this treacherous journey. When I found the second image where the man is tied up and prepped for whipping, it reminded me of when Equiano mentioned in one of the chapters how “Many times [he] have seen these unfortunate wretches beaten for asking for their pay; and often severely flogged by their owners if they did not bring them their daily or weekly money exactly to the time” (p. 101). Equiano perfectly paints a picture of misfortunate and cruelty that lied within the hands of enslaved owners and how they executed their disapproval. As for the first image and its connection to the story, Equiano dedicates a chapter on telling readers the journey of crossing the Atlantic and how the transporting of Africans was no better than being on land. He said “When I looked round the ship too, and saw a large furnace of copper boiling, and a multitude of black people of every description chained together…I no longer doubted my fate, and quite overpowered with horror and strength.” (p. 55) He already understood the condition of the boat and how uncomfortable it was to be on it but as he took in the atmosphere around him, he realized he wasn’t the only one going through this hardship. He then accepted the idea of being sold into slavery and even potentially dying on the boat before being sold off.
All in all, these two images doesn’t explicitly show the horrors and chaos that comes with slavery but it gives a good idea on how it was executed onto the unfortunate souls that couldn’t escape their “fate.” The Transatlantic slave trade was a huge factor into the growth of slavery and wealth (for those who were white and had money). As for the depiction in the second image, we can only conclude that punishment was one of many things that enslaved people had to endure. These images go well with the story of Equiano because it adds more depth into what is being read.
Works Cited
“The Transatlantic trade.” Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive. 2000. http://find.g ale.com.lehman.ezproxy.cuny.edu/sas/imageGallery.do?page=ImageGallery&recordID=s as_00037&inPS=true&prodId=SAS&userGroupName=lehman_main&pageNumber=1& method=doImageDisplay&contentSet=SASM
“Whipping post and pillory, Delaware” Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive. 1865 http://find.gale.com.lehman.ezproxy.cuny.edu/sas/imageGallery.do?page=ImageGallery& recordID=sas_00059&inPS=true&prodId=SASAS&userGroupName=lehman_main&pageN
umber=1&method=doImageDisplay&contentSet=SASM
