Historical Changes
The quest for the self-rule has been in existence since the 18th and 19th century but has not been a full achievement. There were many transformations between in regards to the attainment of self-rule in both centuries, but not much has been underachievement in comparison to the objectives of autonomy. According to Equiano, the 1700s had seen most of the leadership in governments come from outside powers or existence of monarchs and oligarchy regardless of ethnic composition. History has shown that self-rule was not that common in the past; however, as time went by, there have been constant efforts to change the situation for the better. Electorates started to demand the abolishment of some of the atrocities that had led to governments not achieving self-rule. Self-rule has been defined as a time when a country is governed by what the electorate wants through democracy. The need for political freedom, social and economic stability is some of the factors that led to the attainment of self-rule (Harriet 380-391). Therefore, it is essential to look at how self-rule has changed from 1700 to 1800 as attributed in the Equiano book.
The industrial revolution happened as a result of self-rule as populations worked harder
to provide for their families. The industrial revolution is as a result of an increase of freedom, reduction, and final stop of the slave trade. Equiano was a victim of the slave trade but had the privilege to interact with some good people that gave him a chance for education (Equiano 1793). Lack of activists and members of the community to talk about their oppression by either colonizers or monarchies led to oppression of people for a long time. Countries like Brazil were colonies
of Portuguese, and as a result, they could not be able to make independent decisions on
governance. However, some revolutions came to change the whole aspect as people changed
their perspective on issues in political governance. Loosing of Spain grip on her colonies,
Venezuela planters demand of political parties to be run by reason, and ethnic groups were
coming out to defend their rights was eminent in the 1800s. There was too much of slave trade and
oppression of workers by the European colonies in the 1700s however, that changed as people
started discovering their rights and fighting for the same (Harriet 380-391).
There are different ways in which the change happened as people realized that the
only way to achieve stability is to fight for social, economic, and political space. The need for
economic growth changed the minds of Europeans and Americans, especially on issues to do with the slave trade. Considering the productivity of slave laborers was becoming less dependent on compared to free labor (Equiano 1793). Considering the social aspect of human trafficking, it
was becoming more and more concerning for the Africans and other slaves in the European countries and American (Demko 565-576). Activists started condemning the morality of the slave trade and how this is against humanity. The development of secure religious practices in the region also played a part in convincing people to embrace self-rule. The integration of different cultures with different ethnicity was also a reason as to why people decided to embrace self-rule between 1700 and 1800. The existence of black Africans, Hispanics, and whites in Europe and America made it impossible for these ethnicities to not integrate their cultures for the benefits of social and political development. Equiano talks about how he was forced to emulate the language and culture of the Europeans to become one of them (Equiano 1793). The need for political independence was also a reason for the oppressed to come up and seek self-rule.
The explanation of the change manifest in the gains that exist after the
attainment of self-rule in Europe, America, and other countries that fought for self-rule.
Oppression of specific communities or populations reduced immensely in these centuries as a
result of self-rule. The communities realized that they needed to choose the right leaders and
hold them accountable for their doings. It is also important to note that atrocities such as slavery
reduced and eventually stopped as a result of self-rule in the 1800s. Giving equal opportunities to
both genders was also a result that came after self-rule, as girls got opportunities to go and work as well as get education. Child labor was a central fight as people started realizing that it was relevant for children to get time to learn before employment (Demko 565-576). The impact of religion, especially in education and political freedom, was one of the critical signs of
self-rule gains. Interaction of different cultures made the slaves and other people to start seeking
education, which was one of the best achievements of change.
Examples
Treaty of Versailles is considered to be the most crucial example of a peace treaty which was able to bring an end to world war one and terminated the war that existed between the Germans and associated powers. The agreement was signed in 1919 five years after the killing of Archduke Franz, who personally controlled the war. The other major powers that were allied to the Germans were able to sign different treaties even through armistice which in 1918 was able to terminate the physical fighting. After that six months of discussions at the Paris peace seminar led to the peace treaty, which in 1919 was the focus (Neiberg 100). One of the essential provisions of the treaty is that it demanded Germans should take responsibility for her allies’ damages that occurred during the war period. The treaty required the Germans to possess weapons and create sufficient territorial refreshment stand and compensate some countries which were part of Entente powers. By the year 1921, the compensation cost was an estimate of a hundred and thirty-two billion marks (Neiberg 230). The Britain envoy at the Paris peace discussions commented that the treaty was harsh and the compensation amount was too high.
The French envoy, on the other hand, sentiments, was that the negotiations were very lenient with the Germans. These arguments led to different aims that express that there was no mutual consensus on the German party and other political powers that existed in Europe.
Nelson Mandela is regarded as a boundless leader, not because of his complexity but through virtue. His appreciation did not originate from violence and associated civil disobedience but through his progression on the issues that propel the fight against oppression. During Mandela’s youthhood, South Africa was a center of oppression, and despite this fact, the leader was an activist of non-violence, and as a barrister, he was able to make efforts to assist the victims of racism. He was able to seek political identity among the black race within the prevailing elections of the government and declined to support the demands for a revolution that entailed violence (Simpson 133-148). Despite the facts, Mandela’s efforts were not fruitful, and his efforts did not materialize instead resulted in more brutal activities from the apartheid rule. Therefore, he opted for restricted violence emerging from his effort to seek the attention of the world, which landed him in prison for twenty-seven years. Even though he resorted to violence, his sentiments were justifiable because he was a victim of provocation by oppression far worse than what transpired during South African uprising against the colonialism from the British. The central aspect of his sentiments was that whatever transpired was necessary during his efforts to fighting and maintain peaceful efforts for South Africa to gain self-rule (Simpson 133-148).
Referring to history, it has been over twenty years since Hillary Clinton made remarks on women rights as part of essential human rights in a conference held in Beijing. She expressed women concerns and remarking about the single-child policy and dowry rule. Her sentiments led to her later campaign as the pioneer feminine candidate for the American presidency. During her September speech, she was defiant to central government pressure and Chinese exterior compression to tone down her sentiments (Chen 134-139). Her speech was arguing against women abuse all over the world and was able to integrate women rights as part of human rights and empowerment to females around the world.
In conclusion, many changes occurred during the time of Equiano as a slave in Europe.
The changes are in social, economic, religion, and political orientations ensured that there were
revolutions for the good of people. Monarchies and oppression leaderships have been slowly but
surely being eradicated and conquered as established in the 1700 and 1800s. The reasons
for the changes were to improve trade, to achieve political stability, cultural integration, and need
for religious freedom have been vital for change. It is essential also to note that self-rule did
improve the lives of slaves and the growth of economic blocks in both Europe and America. In the examples, the quest for autonomy and termination of oppression in the cases of Treaty of Versailles, Nelson Mandela, and Hillary Clinton also expound on the achievements of self-rule, freedom and human rights.
Work Cited
Demko, G. J. “Reordering the World: Geopolitical Perspectives on the 21st century”.
Routledge. (2018): Pp. 565-576
Equiano, O. “The interesting narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano: Or, Gustavus
Vassa, the African”, 1793.
Harriet, R. “Early factory labor in New England, in Massachusetts Bureau of statistics of
Labor”. Fourteenth annual report. (1883): Pp. 380-391
Neiberg, Michael S. “The Treaty of Versailles: A Very Short Introduction”. Oxford University Press, 2019.
Simpson, Thula. “Nelson Mandela and the Genesis of the ANC’s Armed Struggle: Notes on Method.” Journal of Southern African Studies 44.1 (2018): 133-148.
Chen, Yulian. “On Rhetorical Functions of Narratives in Hillary Clinton’s Speeches.” International Journal of Language and Linguistics 6.4 (2018): 134-139