1760s–1770s: Olaudah Equiano, an enslaved man who would eventually work his way to freedom, became a sailor during this period.

1760s–1770s: Olaudah Equiano, an enslaved man who would eventually work his way to freedom, became a sailor during this period. He felt that his mobile occupation placed him on a more equal footing with his owner and allowed him to express his mind more freely. His experience exemplified how many enslaved people looked to the sea as a means of personal empowerment or eventual escape. Whites often observed that it was a “very dangerous thing” to allow an enslaved person to learn navigation.