ESTRATEGIAS DE LIBERACIÓN DE LA ESCLAVITUD EN LAS NARRACIONES DE MARY PRINCE Y JUAN FRANCISCO MANZANO

Abstract

Since the beginning of transatlantic slavery, enslaved persons fought for their freedom by deploying a variety of strategies, such as running away, gradual and immediate self-purchase, freedom suits and rebellions. This article studies the strategies described in the autobiographical narratives of Mary Prince (British West Indies) and Juan Francisco Manzano (Cuba). Because the narratives encompass their life stories, they allow us to observe the process by which the authors contemplate different strategies to free themselves, as well as how they adjust their plans when faced with obstacles and setbacks. At the same time, the article examines the factors that shape Prince and Manzano’s decision making processes and how they are related to the historical, geographic, legal, and demographic contexts of each author.