History 102: Primary Source Analysis Assignment The purpose of this assignment i

History 102: Primary Source Analysis Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize students with the use of historical documents within the larger framework of the history of the transatlantic slave trade. Historical documents, as you know by now, are the building blocks of written history. Moreover, the interpretation of these documents by the historical community and their placement in the larger historical narrative are the foundations of the historical profession. Therefore, this assignment will allow each of you to become, for a brief moment, a historian. Each of the documents will fit into a larger historical period and you need keep this timeframe in mind as you tackle this assignment. If there are people, places, and events mentioned in your documents that you do not know or understand, you need to research them using your textbook and other resources. For help with working in primary sources, check out this link to a primary source tutorial from Week 0: Week 0—Course Tutorials and Introductions
The Documents:
19.2 Olaudah Equiano, ‘From the Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano’
19.3 Diagram Showing Slaves Packed Tightly into A Slave Ship
The Assignment
There is a fierce debate among historians as to whether former slave Olaudah Equiano’s The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African is entirely historicly accurate or perhaps incorporated some events from the personal experiences of other slaves. Nonetheless, his memoir is one of the most popular slave narratives in history and one of the defining voices of the age of abolition. In addition, his accounts, describing Europeans and their culture at that time, is one of the first narratives to define contact between indigenous Africans and European slavers. Using the primary sources listed above, the readings from the textbook, and the links on Equiano in Canvas (See weeks 5 & 6 module), explain the similarities and differences in how Equiano engaged with both African and European peoples. How does he shape the reader’s understanding of both black people and white people in the age of chattel slavery? Finally, do you think his vivid memory of events became his survival strategy for dealing with the horrors of the Middle Passage?
The Paper
Your papers need to be 2-3 pages in length and should attempt to answer the questions above. Each submission should be double-spaced with name, date, and course number on the top left corner of your paper. Please number your pages. Grammar, spelling, editing, and proofreading mistakes will be evaluated. All papers will be submitted through Turnititn in Canvas. No emailed papers will be accepted.