In reading Cary's table, it is my take, that his evidence provides more of a possibility that Equiano was born in South Carolina. At that time, both ship manifests, and baptismal records were considered legal documentation. Hearsay was not. In his book, he goes on and on giving a detailed description of a childhood in Africa and the Middle Passage he purportedly took after being kidnapped. Although he does provide some descriptions, this information could have come from others and there is no evidence, either through documentation, or witnesses that he did in fact have those experiences.
At the time the book was written media at that time would support the fact that it was more for entertainment purposes of adventure. Many people reading this book would want to hear about the exciting far away land. Also as pointed out under point 5, the readers really did not care about the specific accurateness of Equianos upbringing. The were interested in reading about the adventurous lifestyle he had lived, and how he overcame the obstacles of life, through the grace of God to rise up again and again to do so.
Although his biography describes scenes of Africa and the middle passage, Equiano could have heard these tales as a young boy, and held onto them. Living as a young boy on a plantation in South Carolina, or on a ship, he would have heard many stories from adult slaves, and felt a bonding and sense of identity in relation to the stories he heard. I really do not think that he intentionally had lied about his past or his upbringing. When he was signed into a ship manifest, or a baptismal record, he could justify someone else could have coerst this place of birth to be in South Carolina for their benefit. (to avoid a tax for example) It is possible he really believed what he thought about his heritage.
Severe childhood trauma can cause the mind to erase or create memories to cope. Being young and taken from his family whether they were in Africa or in South Carolina, would be a source of trauma on any child. As the arguments state that, his account was usually very accurate in point 2 under the biographical evidence. Children's minds see time and distance, and memories quite different than adult minds. Experiences are exaggerated.
I would build the case that Equiano was born in South Carolina, since any legal document states this, at different times in his life. I think that he wanted a sense of identity. Over time he developed his African identity as a psychological coping mechanism.
Vincent Carretta, 'Oaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa? New Light on an Eighteenth-century Question of Identity'. Slavery and Abolition, 20, 3 (December 1999), 96-105
Vincent Carretta, 'Introduction" in The interesting Narrative and Other Writings, editied with an introduction and notes by Vincent Carretta (London and New York:Penguin, 2003) pp x-xi
Brycchan Carey 2002-2010 An argument
I am a junior majoring in American History. I enjoy visiting American historical sites. I had to opportunity to visit the USS Missouri in September on the anniversary of the signing of the Japanese surrender.
Hi Michelle. I agree with you that I too believe that Equiano was born in 'Carolina' instead of Africa. I believe it is very difficult to refute the independent documents stating that Equiano was born in 'Carolina.' It was very interesting that you focused on the psychological state of Equiano in your argument. I thought you mentioned many valid points in the Carey table, but I also think you could have included information from Equiano's Narrative to add strength to your argument. For example, in regards to Equiano's psychological state, the countering argument which supports Equiano's birth in Africa is that "As a terrified and traumatized child, the young Equiano may have been too afraid to tell the truth when asked for his place of birth at his baptism ceremony." To strengthen your argument against Equiano's African birth you can mention that the baptism ceremony was actually a pleasant event for the young Equiano - in this case he was not afraid or dishonest in saying 'Carolina.' In his Narrative, "On this occasion Miss Guerin did me the honour to stand as my godmother, and afterwards gave me a treat. I used to attend these ladies about the town, in which service I was extremely happy. . ." (84). Overall, I agree with you, but think mentioning quotes from Equiano's Narrative which questions the countering argument to your own would have beneficial. Nice post.
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
ReplyDeleteAlthough you make a good case for your argument, I feel that it does not hold water. When you state that "At that time, both ship manifests, and baptismal records were considered legal documentation," this leaves yourself open to the fact that much of Equiano's Narrative can be corroborated through the ship manifests. [1] Additionally, as stated in the table by Bryccan Carey, the legal documents "almost certainly came from Equiano himself,"[2] implying that there is no hard evidence supporting the claim that Equiano answered the question of birth. How do we know that Miss Guerin didn't speak for her slave? How do we know that the question was specifically asked as "Where were you born?" or could it have been "Where are you from?" In which case, he could have simply stated that he was from Carolina. This of course, is mere speculation, but it goes to illustrate that these two lone documents fail to override the number of ship's manifests, personal testimonies, and detailed account provided by Equiano stating the opposite. Yes, there were motivations for Equiano to lie; however, there were major financial motivations to discredit his story as they called into question the entire morality and legality of the slave trade. I feel that you're argument could have been helped by detailing out instances that would have called Equiano's character into question to help support the claim that his origin was fabricated. Unfortunately, my take of Equiano was as an honest, hardworking, and faithful man who strove to do the right thing which makes it difficult to establish a pattern of deceit.
Thank you for taking the time to read my response and although I disagree with your argument, I feel that you've written a good post here.
1. Bryccan Carey, Where was Olaudah Equiano Born? (And Why Does It Matter?) http://www.brycchancarey.com/equiano/nativity.htm (accessed February 1, 2012).
2. ibid