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The Resource A Son of Africa

A Son of Africa

Contributor
Summary
The Interesting Narration of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa the African was the first influential slave autobiography. It caused a sensation when published in 1789, fueling a growing anti-slavery movement in the U.S. and England. This BBC production employs dramatic reconstruction, archival material and interviews with scholars such as Stuart Hall and Ian Duffield to provide the social and economic context of the 18th century slave trade. Equiano's narrative begins in the West African village where he was kidnapped into slavery in 1756. He vividly recalls the pestilence and horror of the Middle Passage: "I now wished for the last friend, Death, to relieve me." Eventually the young Equiano was shipped to a Virginia plantation where he witnessed slaves tortured with thumbscrews and the iron muzzle. Slavery, he would write, brutalizes everyone - the slaves, their overseers, plantation wives, the whole of society. Sold again to a British naval officer, he learned to read and write, became a skilled trader, and eventually managed to buy his freedom. Equiano's adventures eventually brought him to London where he married into English society and became a leading abolitionist. His exposé of the infamous slaver Zong - 133 slaves thrown overboard in mid-ocean for the insurance money - shook the nation. But it was Equiano's book that would prove his most lasting contribution to the abolitionist movement, a book which vividly demonstrated the humanity of Africans as much as the inhumanity of slavery. "Powerful and evocative, this superb film is faithful to the single most important personal account ever written by a victim of the slave trade...Wonderfully instructive for high school and college students." - Winthrop D. Jordan, University of Mississippi. "A superb biography and treatment of slavery and the early abolition movement." - John W. Blasingame, Yale University. "Will make students want to read Equiano's amazing narrative...Tells us as much about the 18th century Atlantic world as Ben Franklin's autobiography." - Peter H. Wood, Duke University
Language
eng
Work
Instance
Label
A Son of Africa
Title
A Son of Africa
Contributor
Film director
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
The Interesting Narration of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa the African was the first influential slave autobiography. It caused a sensation when published in 1789, fueling a growing anti-slavery movement in the U.S. and England. This BBC production employs dramatic reconstruction, archival material and interviews with scholars such as Stuart Hall and Ian Duffield to provide the social and economic context of the 18th century slave trade. Equiano's narrative begins in the West African village where he was kidnapped into slavery in 1756. He vividly recalls the pestilence and horror of the Middle Passage: "I now wished for the last friend, Death, to relieve me." Eventually the young Equiano was shipped to a Virginia plantation where he witnessed slaves tortured with thumbscrews and the iron muzzle. Slavery, he would write, brutalizes everyone - the slaves, their overseers, plantation wives, the whole of society. Sold again to a British naval officer, he learned to read and write, became a skilled trader, and eventually managed to buy his freedom. Equiano's adventures eventually brought him to London where he married into English society and became a leading abolitionist. His exposé of the infamous slaver Zong - 133 slaves thrown overboard in mid-ocean for the insurance money - shook the nation. But it was Equiano's book that would prove his most lasting contribution to the abolitionist movement, a book which vividly demonstrated the humanity of Africans as much as the inhumanity of slavery. "Powerful and evocative, this superb film is faithful to the single most important personal account ever written by a victim of the slave trade...Wonderfully instructive for high school and college students." - Winthrop D. Jordan, University of Mississippi. "A superb biography and treatment of slavery and the early abolition movement." - John W. Blasingame, Yale University. "Will make students want to read Equiano's amazing narrative...Tells us as much about the 18th century Atlantic world as Ben Franklin's autobiography." - Peter H. Wood, Duke University
Cataloging source
CaSfKAN
Characteristic
videorecording
Date time place
Originally produced by California Newsreel in 1996
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorName
  • Riley, Alrick
  • Kanopy (Firm)
Runtime
28
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Equiano, Olaudah
  • Slavery
  • Slavery
  • Antislavery movements
Technique
live action
Label
A Son of Africa
Link
Instantiates
Publication
Note
Title from title frames
Antecedent source
unknown
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Configuration of playback channels
unknown
Content category
two-dimensional moving image
Content type code
tdi
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
1 online resource (1 video file, approximately 29 min.)
File format
unknown
Form of item
online
Level of compression
unknown
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
c
Medium for sound
other
Other physical details
digital, .flv file, sound
Publisher number
1139603
Quality assurance targets
not applicable
Reformatting quality
unknown
Sound
sound
Sound on medium or separate
sound on medium
Specific material designation
  • other
  • remote
System control number
(OCoLC)908377989
System details
Mode of access: World Wide Web
Video recording format
other
Label
A Son of Africa
Link
Publication
Note
Title from title frames
Antecedent source
unknown
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Configuration of playback channels
unknown
Content category
two-dimensional moving image
Content type code
tdi
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Dimensions
unknown
Extent
1 online resource (1 video file, approximately 29 min.)
File format
unknown
Form of item
online
Level of compression
unknown
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
c
Medium for sound
other
Other physical details
digital, .flv file, sound
Publisher number
1139603
Quality assurance targets
not applicable
Reformatting quality
unknown
Sound
sound
Sound on medium or separate
sound on medium
Specific material designation
  • other
  • remote
System control number
(OCoLC)908377989
System details
Mode of access: World Wide Web
Video recording format
other

Subject

Genre

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