Atlantic Wanderer and King Sugar

In chapter two of Adam Hochschild’s book, Bury the Chains, we are introduced to Olaudah Equiano, a Nigerian boy forced into chains by slave raiders. This chapter highlights his time spent on slave ships through his journal entries and offers us insight into the world of bondage. At the time, the booming sugar industry resulted in an increase of African slaves on plantations. And despite Olaudah’s gradual rise and business deal that unlocked his chains, his story offered a reminder that no black person could be completely free as long as the British Empire permitted slavery. In chapter four of Adam Hochschild’s book, Bury the Chains, the connection between sugar and slavery is explained further. Hochschild manages to depict the extreme contrast between the white slave owners and the African slaves. He does this by illustrating the daily activities of these two groups and the different repercussions that exist when rules are broken by either African slaves or white slave owners.