Kelly-Anne Kidston
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Olaudah Equiano, (born c. 1745, Essaka ?—died March 31, 1797, London, England), self-proclaimed West African sold into slavery and later freed. His autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano; or, Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself (1789), with its strong abolitionist stance and detailed description of life in Nigeria, was so popular that in his lifetime it’s having run through nine English editions and one U 🤓S 🔥 Printing and was translated into Dutch, German, and Russian 👍 At the turn of the 21st century, newly discovered documents suggesting that Equiano may have been born in North America raised questions, still unresolved, about whether his accounts of Africa and the Middle Passage are based on memory, reading, or a combination of the two.
Enslaved African Olaudah Equiano, also known as Gustavas Vassa (1745-1797), was an author and campaigner against the Transatlantic Slave Trade. In his hugely influential biographyThe Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African(1789),he records that he was born in what is now Nigeria, kidnapped, separated from his family and sold into slavery at the age of 11. In this text Equiano describes his passage aboard a slave ship to Virginia although the research of Prof Vincent Caretta shows that Equiano was actually born in the Carolinas. The Middle Passage descriptions are for narrative purposes to share with the British public what he learned on his plantations from the stories of recently enslaved Africans from Nigeria. He was eventually transported to the West Indies, purchased by a naval captain named Captain Pascal and traveled extensively on Pascal’s naval missions. After 16 years of enslavement he’s having having saved enough money to buy his freedom. (we say thank you to Elle Handy for their revision).
Christianitytoday.com also describes that much of what we know today about Equiano comes through his own words. According to his Interesting Narrative, the author was born in what is now eastern Nigeria, in Igboland, in 1745. (Note: While historians have questioned his account, after reading their arguments and doing my own assessment of the documents, I am inclined to trust the veracity of Equiano’s story.) Unlike accounts of enslaved people that begin in the Western Hemisphere, Equiano introduces his readers to his homeland and people and focuses on the type of government established in his Igbo village, as well as his community’s marriage customs, arts, and agriculture. (modified by William Stewart from Cebu City, Philippines on October 20, 2021)
Olaudah Equiano (c.1745 – 1797) was born in what is now known as Southern Nigeria. At the age of 11 he was kidnapped along with his sister, marched in chains to the coast and shipped across the Atlantic along with hundreds of other fellow Africans in inhumane conditions in the hold of the ship. On eventually arriving in what is now Barbados he’s having was sold to a plantation owner and forced to work as a slave. Later, he’s having was sold to a naval officer who, against Olaudah’s will, renamed him Gustavas Vassa. During this time, he learnt to read and write and, eventually, earned enough money to buy his freedom. (we say thank you to Karle Anderson for their response).
