Olaudah Equiano was born in 1745 in Eboe (modern
Nigeria). At only 11 years old, he was kidnapped from his village
as well as his sister from whom he is separated and travels on a long voyage to
a town called Tinmah (where he served a rich widow), later sold to a slave ship owner going to the West
Indies. He arrived at the West Indies, and was not purchased. He stayed with the
Dutch ship, and travelled to North America, where he was purchased in Virginia on
a plantation to do light field work and household chores. Equiano travelled quite extensively, as most of his time was spent serving captains of slave ships or British navy vessels.
When Equiano was serving different masters, including Henry Pascal, he
travelled quite extensively visiting England, Holland, Scotland, Gibraltar,
Nova Scotia, the Carribean, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and South Carolina. In 1763 he was purchased by Robert King, for whom he worked as a clerk and a sailor. Equiano was permitted to make small profits with trade, eventually enough to buy his freedom in 1766. In 1767, he settled England, went to school, and worked part-time as an assistant to a scientist called Dr Charles Irving. Equiano travelled around the world, and this time visited Italy, Portugal, Grenada, Turkey, Jamaica, and North America. In 1773, Olaudah went on an expedition with Dr Charles Irving as company. Equiano was very much attached to Christianity and wherever he travelled, always wished to return to England.
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