Who Was Olaudah Equiano?
Google Marks 272nd Birthday Of Abolitionist known as
Gustavus Vassa for most of his life, his autobiography helped in the creation
of the Slave Trade Act 1807 which ended the African trade for Britain and its
colonies.
Olaudah
Equiano, who was known as Gustavus Vassa for most of his life, was a prominent African
in London whose autobiography helped to end the slave trade in Britain.
Google
marks the 272nd birthday of Equiano, who was born in the Eboe province, in the
area that is now southern Nigeria, on October 16, 1745.
His
early life is unclear due to the absence of records, but he recounted how he
was kidnapped with his sister when he was 11.
He
was sold by local slave traders and shipped across the Atlantic to Barbados and
then Virginia.
In
Virginia, Equiano was sold to Michael Pascal, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy,
who renamed him 'Gustavus Vassa' after the 16th-century Swedish king.
Equiano
had already been renamed twice: he was called Michael while onboard the slave
ship that brought him to the Americas; and Jacob, by his first owner.
Equiano
travelled the oceans with Pascal for eight years, during which time he found
Christianity and was baptised as well as learning to read and write.
Pascal
then sold Equiano to a ship captain in London, who took him to Montserrat,
where he was sold to the prominent merchant Robert King.
King
set Equiano to work on his shipping routes and in his stores, working as a
deckhand, valet and barber whilst also earning money by trading on the side.
In
1765, when Equiano was about 20 years old, King promised that he could buy his
freedom for £40 (worth £6000 in the present day).
In
less than three years, he made enough money and was freed in 1967. Equiano then
spent much of the next 20 years travelling the world, including trips to Turkey
and the Arctic.
In
1786 in London, he became involved in the movement to abolish slavery. He was a
prominent member of the 'Sons of Africa', a group of 12 black men who
campaigned for abolition.
Equiano
was befriended and supported by abolitionists, many of whom encouraged him to
write and publish his life story.
In
1789 he published his autobiography, 'The Interesting Narrative of the Life of
Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African'.
Equiano's
personal account of slavery, his journey of advancement, and his experiences as
a black immigrant caused a sensation on publication.
The
book fuelled a growing anti-slavery movement in Britain, Europe, and the New
World.
His
account surprised many with the quality of its imagery, description, and
literary style. Some readers felt shame at learning of the suffering he had
endured.
The
autobiography, published in 1789, helped in the creation of the Slave Trade Act
1807 which ended the African trade for Britain and its colonies.
In
1792, Equiano married an Englishwoman, Susanna Cullen, and they had two
daughters.
Equiano
died on 31 March 1797.
