Abolishing Slavery: Different Approaches of Cugoano and Sancho
In these excerpts, how does Cugoano’s purpose differ from Sancho’s purpose?
a. Cugoano is hoping that a few enslaved people can be released, while Sancho is hoping that Sterne can abolish slavery altogether.
b. Cugoano makes references to his Christian faith, while Sancho stays away from the topic of religion altogether.
c. Sancho is humbly asking for someone’s help, while Cugoano is asking for immediate and drastic changes in policies about slavery.
d. Sancho is informing the general public about the horrors of slavery, while Cugoano is writing a private letter.
Answer:
c. Sancho is humbly asking for someone’s help, while Cugoano is asking for immediate and drastic changes in policies about slavery.
Explanation:
Quobna Ottobah Cugoano was a slave who had written the "Thoughts and Sentiments on the Evil of Slavery". In his criticism of the slavery system, he includes a direct refutal to all arguments given during the British slave trade.
Likewise, "Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, An African" was written by another slave, Ignatius Sancho, to his friend Lawrence Sterne. Sancho was also an active critic of the slavery system and had written this letter to implore his friend in helping him spread the evils of slavery.
The two pieces of these two writers both have the same aim and goal but their difference lies in their approaches of dealing with the issue. While Cugano directly asks for the end of the slave trade, Sancho seeks the help of his friend who is more known by the public than him. Cugano also included the importance of the Christian faith in his argument which Sancho foregoes. Sancho instead engages in asking his friend, the writer Lawrence Sterne, in propagating and spreading the evils regarding the slavery system. Thus, the correct answer for the question will be that Sancho is humbly asking for someone’s help, while Cugoano is asking for immediate and drastic changes in policies about slavery.