The slavery of olaudah equiano

When he was around the age of eleven, he and his sister were left alone to look after their family premises — as was common when adults went out of the house to work. They were both kidnapped and taken far away from their hometown of Essaka, separated and sold to slave traders. After changing ownership several times, Equiano met his sister again, but they were separated once more, and he was taken across a large river to the coast, where he was held by European slave traders. He and a few other slaves were sent further away to the British colony of Virginia.

See Article History Alternative Title: Gustavus Vassa Olaudah Equiano, born c. His autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano; or, Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himselfwith its strong abolitionist stance and detailed description of life in Nigeria, was so popular that in his lifetime it ran through nine English editions and one U.

Olaudah Equiano - life on board - International Slavery Museum, Liverpool museums

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.

According to his own account, Equiano was kidnapped at age 11 and taken to the West Indies. From there he went to Virginiawhere he was purchased by a sea captain, Michael Henry Pascal, with whom he traveled widely.

He received some education before he bought his own freedom in After he settled in Englandhe became an active abolitionist, agitating and lecturing against the cruelty of British slave owners in Jamaica. He briefly was commissary to Sierra Leone for the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor; his concerns for the settlers—some to freed slaves—and for their ill treatment before their journey ultimately led to his replacement.

Publication of his autobiography was aided by British abolitionists, including Hannah MoreJosiah Wedgwoodand John Wesleywho were collecting evidence on the sufferings of slaves.

In that book and in his later Miscellaneous Verses…he idealizes Africa and shows great pride in the African way of life, while attacking those Africans who trafficked in slavery a perspective further shown by his setting forth not only the injustices and humiliations endured by slaves but also his own experience of kindness, that of his master and a community of English women.

Equiano is often regarded as the originator of the slave narrative because of his firsthand literary testimony against the slave trade. Despite the controversy regarding his birth, The Interesting Narrative remains an essential work both for its picture of 18th-century Africa as a model of social harmony defiled by Western greed and for its eloquent argument against the barbarous slave trade.

A critical edition of The Interesting Narrative, edited by Werner Sollors—which includes an extensive introduction, selected variants of the several editions, contextual documents, and early and modern criticism—was published in Learn More in these related Britannica articles:In Olaudah Equiano’s The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, he depicts the horrid nature of the “Middle Passage” journey of the African slaves.

Logically, ethically, and emotionally, Equiano allows the reader to relate to the appalling journey of the slaves. Olaudah Equiano: Olaudah Equiano, 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 (), with its strong abolitionist stance and detailed description of life in Nigeria.

Equiano then spent much of the next 20 years travelling the world, including trips to Turkey and the Arctic. In in London, he became involved in the movement to abolish slavery.

Olaudah Equiano’s life was a remarkable one, even before he became a leading figure in the battle to abolish slavery. Born in what is now Nigeria, Equiano was kidnapped and sold into slavery as a child – forcibly transported across the globe, to Barbados and then Virginia.

Olaudah Equiano’s life was a remarkable one, even before he became a leading figure in the battle to abolish slavery. Born in what is now Nigeria, Equiano was kidnapped and sold into slavery as a child – forcibly transported across the globe, to Barbados and then Virginia.

Olaudah Equiano's description of his experiences on a slave ship, with audio and transcripts, from the history of the transatlantic slave trade section of the International Slavery Museum website. Part of the National Museums Liverpool group, this venue explores historical and contemporary aspects of slavery.