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Olaudah Equiano Essay

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Olaudah Equiano is ex-African slave who wrote his own autobiography “The Interesting Narrative of The Life of Olaudah Equiano” in his autobiography, he says that he was born in the country of what is now Nigeria. Equiano was kidnapped and sold into slavery when he was just a child. During this time, he went through what was known as the middle passage on a slave ship bound for the New World. Equiano was then shipped to Virginia to work weeding grass and gathering stones after a short time working in Barbados. Equiano was eventually bought by a naval captain for about £40 named Gustavas Vassa. Equiano was 12 when the captain brought him to England, and While he was there he stayed at Blackheath located in London with the Guerin family who was relatives to the naval captain. While he was there …show more content…
During his time serving Pascal Equiano traveled on multiple naval campaigns to Canada and to the Mediterranean. In 1763, Pascal sold Equiano to another captain named James Doran who took him to Montserrat where he was bought by the island's leading merchant Robert King. Equiano served king for the next three years by working as a deckhand, valet and barber. when Equiano could save up enough money to buy his freedom which was the price of £40. After buying his freedom Equiano spent his next 20 years travelling the world even going to turkey and trips to the artic. Equiano eventually went back to London in 1786 where he formed the ‘Sons of Africa' movement to keep freed slaves safe from being recaptured. Along with writing his autobiography in 1789, 'The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African'. Equiano went to great lengths to share his book with the world this opened the discussion about abolishing slavery, while also, making Equiano a wealthy man. His books were one of the first book by a black

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