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Olaudah Equiano was born in 1745 in the Eboe province of Africa (present Nigeria), the youngest of seven brothers and sisters. At the age of 11, his sister and himself were kidnapped and held captive for 6 to 7 months.
Then, Equiano was placed on a slave-ship, with approximately 250 other slaves, to endure the Middle Passage. It first arrived at Barbados and stayed there for two weeks. Equiano himself was not purchased and so he remained with the Dutch slave ship. Then the slave-ship arrived at Virginia, an English colony, where Equiano was put to work on a plantation.
At last, a man purchased Equiano for 40 pounds. This man turned out to be Captain Michael Henry Pascal of the British Royal Navy, who renamed Equiano to Gustavus Vassa, the Swedish King. Equiano protested, preferring to be called “Jacob” but after being beaten he eventually gave in to his master.
Equiano learnt much about seamanship, especially as he was travelling with Pascal during the Seven Years War with France. He would assist the ship such as hauling gunpowder. Equiano was quite afraid of the English men aboard the ship until he met Richard Baker, a young English man who he soon made friends with. If he wasn’t at England, he would be travelling with Pascal on warships and trading vessels.
Despite Pascal’s promise for Equiano’s freedom, Equiano wasn’t released. In 1763, he was sold to Captain James Doran, who took him to Montserrat, in the West Indies. There, he was sold again to Robert King, the island’s main merchant. He sailed with his master between the Caribbean and North America, loading up ships, clerking and being a personal assistant. Equiano was permitted by King to use any commercial opportunities to earn money. In 1766, he bought his freedom for 40 pounds, the original price he was purchased for.
In 1789, he wrote his autobiography, “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano”, a bestseller which was translated into many languages. Equiano died in his home on the 31st March, 1797. It would be forty years later before slavery was abolished in the British colonies.
Then, Equiano was placed on a slave-ship, with approximately 250 other slaves, to endure the Middle Passage. It first arrived at Barbados and stayed there for two weeks. Equiano himself was not purchased and so he remained with the Dutch slave ship. Then the slave-ship arrived at Virginia, an English colony, where Equiano was put to work on a plantation.
At last, a man purchased Equiano for 40 pounds. This man turned out to be Captain Michael Henry Pascal of the British Royal Navy, who renamed Equiano to Gustavus Vassa, the Swedish King. Equiano protested, preferring to be called “Jacob” but after being beaten he eventually gave in to his master.
Equiano learnt much about seamanship, especially as he was travelling with Pascal during the Seven Years War with France. He would assist the ship such as hauling gunpowder. Equiano was quite afraid of the English men aboard the ship until he met Richard Baker, a young English man who he soon made friends with. If he wasn’t at England, he would be travelling with Pascal on warships and trading vessels.
Despite Pascal’s promise for Equiano’s freedom, Equiano wasn’t released. In 1763, he was sold to Captain James Doran, who took him to Montserrat, in the West Indies. There, he was sold again to Robert King, the island’s main merchant. He sailed with his master between the Caribbean and North America, loading up ships, clerking and being a personal assistant. Equiano was permitted by King to use any commercial opportunities to earn money. In 1766, he bought his freedom for 40 pounds, the original price he was purchased for.
In 1789, he wrote his autobiography, “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano”, a bestseller which was translated into many languages. Equiano died in his home on the 31st March, 1797. It would be forty years later before slavery was abolished in the British colonies.