The Life of Olaudah Equiano: Chapter 7 Summary & Analysis

In early 1766 King bought another ship, the Nancy, which was stocked for a trip to Philadelphia. The ship was the largest Equiano had ever seen, so he filled it with as much of his own merchandise as he could. On this trip he saw whales for the first time. In Philadelphia he sold his goods mostly to the Quakers, who were the most honest-seeming to him.

One Sunday morning Equiano passed a meeting-house and saw, through an open door, a tall woman saying something he couldn’t understand; then he came to another church packed with people. He asked around and learned that the Reverend George Whitfield, whom he’d often heard of, was preaching. He crammed inside and saw the preacher earnestly pronouncing and sweating like Equiano had in Montserrat: Equiano was impressed and struck by such exertion, and he understood the contrast to the relatively thin audiences in other churches.

Back in Montserrat, Equiano thought he might be able to purchase his freedom, but King ordered the ship back to St. Eustatia and Georgia. Resigned to fate, Equiano submitted. In St. Eustatia they took on more slaves and proceeded to Georgia, but Equiano was eager to get back to Montserrat to buy his freedom.

While in Georgia, Farmer met with a wealthy silversmith who had traveled with him years before. The silversmith took ill and began to remind the captain of a promise he’d made to him earlier, that he’d bequeath some of his fortune to Farmer. The captain promised to give Equiano ten pounds of the man’s property when he died, since Equiano too had helped nurse him. Since this was above and beyond what Equiano needed to buy his freedom, he put out eight pounds of his own money to buy fine clothes for his freedom. However, when the man died they opened his trunk to find nothing more than a dollar and a half, barely enough to pay for the coffin.

They arrived safely in Montserrat, where Equiano was now in possession of 47 pounds. He went one morning to meet King and Farmer with the money in his hand. But when Equiano reminded his master of the promise he’d made, King began to recoil, asking in shock where Equiano had got the money. Farmer said he’d attained it honestly and industriously. King said he didn’t think Equiano would manage it so soon, but he agreed to take the money and he sent Equiano to the Register Office to draw up his manumission.

Equiano had tears in his eyes as he thanked the two men, and his thoughts turned to the 126th Psalm, about glorifying God in one’s heart. Reflecting on that moment, he compares his feelings to those of conquering heroes, mothers recovering a long-lost infant, a lover, and a weary mariner returning to port: the sentiments of these people could not equal his own. The man at the office congratulated Equiano and said he’d draw up the document at half price. Before that night Equiano, a slave that morning, had become his own master: it was the happiest day of his life.

Equiano was given a new name, “Freeman,” the most desirable he could ask for. His fine blue clothes began to make an impression, even on the ladies who had formerly been aloof, but he still hoped to return to London. King and Farmer, though, expressed hope that he’d stay with their ships. Struggling between desire and duty, Equiano finally agreed to remain employed with them at 36 shillings a month. He hoped to return to England the next year and see Pascal again, imagining that Pascal might be pleased to see him free rather than enslaved.

Equiano embarked for St. Eustatia and Georgia again on the Nancy; this time they had to deal with a number of alligators on the river, which frightened him. In Georgia, a merchant, Mr. Read, had a slave who began to insult Equiano. Eventually Equiano lost his temper and beat the slave. The next day Mr. Read came to the ship and ordered Equiano ashore so that he might be whipped throughout the town for beating his slave. Equiano refused, and Mr. Read left, swearing that he’d bring all the town constables to the ship—a threat Equiano feared could prove true, as he’d seen free blacks treated in such a way before.

Indeed, Equiano knew of a free black carpenter who was jailed for asking for his wages, and subsequently exiled from Georgia on a false accusation of intending to set his employer’s house afire. Equiano determined to physically resist anyone who tried to lay hands on him, preferring to die a free man than submit to punishment like a slave. Farmer encouraged him to hide, since Mr. Read was known to be spiteful, and after first refusing, Equiano agreed to hide outside town. After he left, the constables did search the ship and they continued to pursue Equiano for days. Finally Farmer told Mr. Read that Equiano’s absence was hurting his business; Mr. Read said that Equiano could go to hell, but he wouldn’t bother Farmer any more.

Equiano returned aboard and they prepared to carry cattle to the West Indies. Equiano had gotten permission to carry two cows for his own profit, as well, but at the last minute Farmer said there was no room. Upset, Equiano threatened to leave the ship, but after the captain cajoled him and promised to make things up to him in the West Indies, Equiano agreed to stay. Soon after, one of the bulls, coming aboard, rammed the captain so hard that he never recovered. To make amends, Farmer pressed Equiano to take turkeys instead, and, while skeptical about their hardiness, Equiano agreed, surprised at the captain’s insistence.

Not long into the voyage, storms began to beset the ship, and after a week several of the cattle died. Farmer, the mate, and others grew ill, such that Equiano was left almost alone in charge. Approaching death, Farmer called for Equiano and asked if he’d ever done Equiano any harm. As Equiano was saying no, Farmer died. Equiano was deeply affected by the death, remaining attached to the captain for his generosity and help in attaining his freedom.

The mate, now in charge, was unable to prevent the other cattle from dying, but Equiano’s turkeys thrived: he ended up benefiting from not taking the cattle. 10 days later, under Equiano’s supervision, the ship reached Montserrat, and Equiano began to be called “captain,” which flattered his vanity.