by Herman Melville

Born in New York City in 1819, Herman Melville took to the seas at age nineteen. His extensive travels brought him into contact with people of many races and cultures. The important legal rulings of his father-in-law, who was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, had a great impact on slavery issues and possibly also on Melville's attitudes toward slaves. Perhaps sparked by these experiences, Melville wrote the novella Benito Cereno. The story explores various perceptions and attitudes of the time concerning race and human equality.

Events in History at the Time the Novella Takes Place

The African slave trade. The African slave trade reached its height during the eighteenth century. Most of the slaves came from the west coast of Africa. They were cast into bondage as a result of a wide variety of circumstances. Prisoners from Africa's continual tribal feuds...