Essay 1

The majority of Africans that traveled across the Atlantic did so as slaves, but many free black men and women crossed the seas. The black Atlantic encompassed the journeys of a diverse group of black people. Free black men and women who became sailors were awarded different privileges than slaves. The experiences of sailors gave them a positive black identity due to their marginalization in a white society. The black Atlantic was composed of slaves as well as free people who gained certain rights through their journeys to foreign countries.

Olaudah Equianos, a free man, traveled extensively first as a slave and later as a sailor. His travels brought him in constant contact with white people, which influenced his personal identity. His experience with the white culture mixed with his African heritage and created a “hybridized national identity” (Gerzina, 47). He later strongly connected to his black identity due to his involvement with the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Black sailors had certain freedoms that were not granted to white sailors who occupied the bottom ranks of white society. Sailors were also highly valued in the black community due to their access to news information (Gerzina, 48). The experiences of sailors in the black Atlantic gave them prestige in black and white communities, which allowed them to have a positive black identity.

Nancy Gardner Prince’s travels gave her tough qualities that allowed her to enter hostile environments. Her experiences allowed her to have power even though she was marginalized by a white society. Her journeys gave her a sense of spatial ownership, which was evident even on land. An account of her expelling a slave catcher from a home in her community showed the sense of owned space learned from her travels at sea (Gerzin, 51). Her travels gave her power that many black people did not have, especially slaves. The black Atlantic was a source of power for many free black men and women.

The experience of Paul Cuffe in the black Atlantic allowed him to become an influential business leader in the black and white communities. He tried to use trade to connect Africa to Europe and to help relieve the disparity between the two continents (Gerzina, 56). He also devoted himself to social issues on a small scale as well. He created a school in Massachusetts that was open to children of all races. He was even able to conduct business with white people in unsympathetic communities (Gerzina, 53). Cuffe’s travels allowed him to be a leader with considerable influence in different circles.

The travels of the black people allowed them to reconcile their lives as free people with their past experiences as slaves. The black Atlantic gave free people rights not awarded to everyone in the community, which gave them positive black identity. The diverse people who traveled throughout the Atlantic were able to unprecedented freedom for that period of time.