There are a variety of aspects that contributed to European colonization in North America. But specifically, there was a fusion of African, Dutch, French European, and Native American cultures. These interactions of these cultures differed from each area and depended on economic, social and political factors. During this specific period, most Europeans did not see Africans and Native Americans as equals, but rather as inferior to them. Ultimately, Native Americans and Africans had to continually battle with these opposing power forces that wanted to colonize them. The Native Americans took revenge out of anger and this is evident in the writings "Mary Jemison, A Narrative of Her Life, 1824", as she describes her journey as a young girl taken captive by a Seneca Indian tribe. African slaves went through a series of tragedies during the Middle Passage and this is evident in "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, 1756" as he recounts his personal experiences as a slave encountering the horrific conditions of the Middle Passage and describes how he was taken to a “world of evil spirits.” The merging of these cultures eventually caused the mass death and enslavement of Africans and Native Americans, slave retaliation, and the adoption of cultures. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Olaudah Equiano, an African slave, writes of his journey and struggle for survival as he encounters the Middle Passage in “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah” Equiano, 1756”. His journey begins when he arrives on the slave ship where he soon encounters torturous mistreatment from the whites. It explains the horrible conditions the slaves are kept in under the bridge and the state they are in has caused the disease to spread due to all the vomit, feces, urine, and all the other contributing factors. Throughout the narrative, it is evident that Equiano is very observant and learns a lot about these individuals simply by observing their behaviors and actions. A key aspect in his writings is that slaves found a sense of freedom in death and this was due to their religious background. They believed they would be reunited with their ancestors if they chose death over slavery. On the other hand, Mary Jemison, a young girl taken from her family by the Seneca tribe, describes her journey in "A Narrative of the Life of Mary Jemison, 1750" as she is adopted into a new family. Her fight for survival begins when she is taken away from her family because the Native Americans were taking revenge against the English for massacring many of their people. His mother's last words before she died will forever leave a lasting impression on Jemison as he struggles to survive this unfortunate situation. And this is vital in all of her writing because she has this collection of memories that make her miss her family and remind her that she was forced to abandon her true identity. Jemison and Equiano are both stripped of their identities, taken from their homes and forced to conform to lifestyle changes that will affect them forever. This is crucial in both writings because both were eventually used as objects of use. Equiano was used as a labor slave to further the settler's economic goals, and Jemison was used as an object to replace a family member who was killed. As these individuals were deprived of the ability to return home and forced to comply,they recognize key aspects of their experience that explain how they were used as objects. Equiano writes: "I now saw myself deprived of any possibility of returning to my native country, or even of the last glimmer of hope of reaching the shore." He realized that he no longer had a chance to return home, and this is important because they work overtimeEquiano realizes that he was brought to a new world where he had to survive. This is important as Equiano realizes that he is no longer home and must conform to these white men who would inflict pain if he disobeyed them. He saw how these men used Africans as objects and treated them badly. This is directly related to Jemison's writings as her mother mentions: "Forget not, my daughter, the prayers I have learned for you, say them often." Her mother expressed her last words to Maria as she was taken away. In other words, the survival of these individuals depended on whether or not they accepted and conformed to new social expectations. Jemison's mother reminds her not to run from the Indians and to do what they want to survive the brutality that will soon be inflicted upon her. This is the key to Jemison's survival as he remembers his mother's last words which will remain in Jemison's memory forever. This is important as Jemison recognizes that she is forced to conform to this new identity or she will face the same repercussions as her family. Overall, a key aspect of both of these writings is that these individuals were used as objects to fulfill the desires of others. This is important because it also recognizes that it was not only Native Americans and African slaves who faced the unfortunate brutalities of the colonists, but also other whites like Jemison who acknowledge this in their writings. Death was something central in both writings as both individuals were surrounded by it. This is an important factor in both writings as they recognize how many African slaves died during the Middle Passage and some immigrant families died as the Native Americans retaliated against the white men. After carefully examining “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” it is evident that many slaves died before arriving on land due to the confined spaces they were in and want to choose death over slavery. Equiano says “The screams of the women and the groans of the dying made the whole scene of horror almost inconceivable”. This quote confirms that the slaves were in these disgusting conditions which led to the spread of diseases among the slaves causing their deaths, especially because they were not used to being in these confined spaces with urine, vomit and feces. Equiano also states that "I now longed for the last friend, death, to lift me up." This recognizes that Equiano was surrounded by death and desired to face death because he could not bear the torment of the Middle Passage. Unlike Jemison, Equiano was forcibly taken from his homeland so that whites could pursue their economic prosperity in the colonies while Jemison was taken by the Seneca in retaliation due to the killing of tribesmen that was soon inflicted on his family . : This is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In comparison, Jemison acknowledged in his writings that “After placing the scalps, still wet and bloody, on the hoops and stretching them to the maximum extent possible he held them…the knives began to scrape away the flesh.” This brutal case confirms how immigrant families during this period had to deal with the repercussions of brutality.