Who was Equiano?
Equiano was bought by Michael Pascal a sailor in the Royal Navy; therefore Equiano was taught the art of seamanship and had to follow his master into battle during Britain’s Seven Years War with France.
Why did Equiano go to school in Great Britain?
Also trained in seamanship, Equiano was expected to assist the ship's crew in times of battle; his duty was to haul gunpowder to the gun decks. Pascal favoured Equiano and sent him to his sister-in-law in Great Britain so that he could attend school and learn to read and write.
Who helped Equiano become a successful trader?
Doran furthered the education of Equiano and taught Equiano to assist him in trading. In his early 20s, Doran helped Equiano to purchase his freedom. Writing of the moment he gained his freedom, Equiano wrote:
How does Equiano react when he first encounters Europeans?
When Equiano first encounters Europeans on a ship off the coast of Africa, how does he react to them? When Equiano first arrives in Virginia, he says that he feels isolated. What prompts this reaction from Equiano? Equiano is surprised and upset when Captain Pascal sells him to Captain Doran, who is bound for the West Indies.
Who gave Equiano his name?
What did Equiano learn?
What was the audience of Equiano's reading?
What was Equiano's main duty on board the ship?
Who is Robert King in Equiano?
Robert King was born in Philadelphia some time before 1735. He was a prominent merchant stationed in Montserrat and was Gustavus Vassa's slave master from 1763 to 1766. Not much is known about his personal life, aside from him having two sisters who resided in Philadelphia, who apparently were Quakers.
Who was Captain James Doran?
London sailor and slave-owner on Montserrat. He was the 'owner' of Olaudah Equiano in 1763. He bought the Wash and Old Road plantations on Montserrat in 1764 in two separate transactions.
Who is Captain Pascal?
(d. 1786) Michael Henry Pascal, a naval officer in the British Royal Navy, was Vassa's slave master from 1754 to 1763. Pascal was a descendant of the Huguenots, a sect of French Protestants who largely followed the teachings of theologian, John Calvin.
What was Olaudah Equiano's first job?
While working as a deckhand, valet and barber for King, Equiano earned money by trading on the side. In only three years, he made enough money to buy his own freedom. Equiano then spent much of the next 20 years travelling the world, including trips to Turkey and the Arctic.
How did Henry Pascal treat Equiano?
Though Pascal is the first white man to treat Equiano kindly, he later cruelly betrays Equiano and sells him to another master. While Equiano seems to forgive him, Pascal—out of either malice or guilt—refuses to engage with Equiano even after Equiano returns as a free man to England.
Who is Daniel queen?
Overview. Daniel Queen is a partner in Mayer Brown's Los Angeles office and a member of the Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice. He is a seasoned trial and appellate litigator, with extensive experience litigating complex issues in federal and state courts.
Who was Pascal to Equiano?
As the slave of a naval captain, Equiano received training in seamanship and traveled extensively with his master. This was during the Seven Years War with France. Although he was Pascal's personal servant, Equiano was also expected to assist in times of battle; his duty was to haul gunpowder to the gun decks.
Who helped Olaudah Equiano?
PascalPascal took Equiano with him when he returned to England and had him accompany him as a valet during the Seven Years' War with France (1756–1763).
What happened Olaudah Equiano?
Equiano died in 1797, before Britain took positive action toward abolition. Nevertheless, his Narrative doubtless helped to push the British public to rethink their relationship with and commitment to human trafficking. More than two centuries after its publication, Equiano's Narrative remains an important source.
How do you pronounce Olaudah?
0:551:09How to Pronounce "Olaudah Equiano" - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipA un lado.MoreA un lado.
When was Equiano enslaved?
According to his own account, Equiano was kidnapped at age 11 and taken to the West Indies. From there he went to Virginia, where he was purchased by a sea captain, Michael Henry Pascal, with whom he traveled widely. He received some education and changed hands twice more before he bought his own freedom in 1766.
Why did Olaudah Equiano change his name?
Transshipped immediately to Virginia, Olaudah, who said his African name meant "vicissitude" or "fortune," became the personal slave of Lt. Michael Henry Pascal of the Royal Navy, who gave him his second name, Gustavus Vassa.
what is the authors purpose for including the dialogue in paragraph 2?
Can you quote a line from the dialogue so I know exactly where you are meaning?
How did he respond to his fate, and how does his identity change as a result? What accounts for his dual identity?
Can you elaborate please. Are you asking how Equiano responded to being forced into slavery?
How did the slaves find different ways of getting through or escaping this experience?
Which specific experience or chapter are you referring to?
Where was Equiano born?
According to his memoir, Equiano was born in Essaka, Eboe, in the Kingdom of Benin. The village was in the southeastern part of present-day Nigeria. In his autobiography he wrote "My father, besides many slaves, had a numerous family, of which seven lived to grow up" and that he was the youngest son. He stated that his father was one of the elders or chiefs who sat in judgement with other elders to decide what to do about disputes or crimes. He refers to men called the Oye-Eboe who brought goods like guns, gunpowder and dried fish. In return Equiano says "Sometimes indeed we sold slaves to them, but they were only prisoners of war, or such among us as had been convicted of kidnapping, or adultery, and some other crimes, which we esteemed heinous." He proceeded, "When a trader wants slaves, he applies to a chief for them, and tempts him with his wares ... and accepts the price of his fellow creature's liberty with as little reluctance as the enlightened merchant". This was usually the cause of war in order to obtain the slaves to gratify 'his avarice'.
Where was Equiano baptised?
Equiano converted to Christianity and was baptised at St Margaret's, Westminster, on 9 February 1759, when he was described in the parish register as "a Black, born in Carolina, 12 years old". His godparents were Mary Guerin and her brother, Maynard, who were cousins of his master Pascal. They had taken an interest in him and helped him to learn English. Later, when Equiano's origins were questioned after his book was published, the Guerins testified to his lack of English when he first came to London.
What was the name of the book that Olaudah Equiano wrote?
He published his autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1789), which depicted the horrors of slavery. It went through nine editions in his lifetime and helped gain passage of the British Slave Trade Act 1807, which abolished the slave trade.
How many daughters did Equiano have?
He included his marriage in every edition of his autobiography from 1792 onwards. The couple settled in the area and had two daughters, Anna Maria (1793–1797) and Joanna (1795–1857) who were baptised at Soham church. Susannah died in February 1796, aged 34, and Equiano died a year after that on 31 March 1797.
What did Pascal do to Equiano?
Pascal took Equiano with him when he returned to England and had him accompany him as a valet during the Seven Years' War with France (1756–1763). Equiano gives eyewitness reports of the Siege of Louisbourg (1758), the Battle of Lagos (1759) and the Capture of Belle Île (1761). Also trained in seamanship, Equiano was expected to assist the ship's crew in times of battle; his duty was to haul gunpowder to the gun decks. Pascal favoured Equiano and sent him to his sister-in-law in Great Britain so that he could attend school and learn to read and write.
Why was Equiano so tense?
At this time, due to the excesses of the French Revolution, British society was tense because of fears of revolution. Reformers were considered more suspect than in other periods. In the 1794 Treason Trials, Thomas Hardy, John Horne Tooke and John Thelwall were tried for high treason but acquitted.
What happened to Equiano?
Equiano recounted an incident of an attempted kidnapping of children in his Igbo village, which was foiled by adults. 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 from their hometown, separated and sold to slave traders. He tried to escape but was thwarted. After his owners changed several times, Equiano happened to meet with his sister but they were separated again. Six or seven months after he had been kidnapped, he arrived at the coast where he was taken on board a European slave ship. He was transported with 244 other enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to Barbados in the British West Indies. He and a few other slaves were sent on for sale in the Colony of Virginia .
Who did Equiano hire out to?
While in England, Equiano hires himself out to Doctor Charles Irving, who was renowned for his water purification experiments. A kind and even-tempered man, Irving pleased Equiano as an employer. However, Irving did not pay Equiano too much money, and the latter left his service to travel at sea. Some time later, Irving bought a fine ship with the intention of sailing to Jamaica and starting a plantation there; he convinced Equiano to join him and work as overseer. Equiano eventually tired of the post and left. Irving's plantation was successful until Equiano's white replacement tortured the slaves into killing themselves in a failed escape attempt. Irving dies soon thereafter from eating poisonous fish.
Who befriends Equiano?
An educated hairdresser onboard the Aetna, Queen befriends Equiano and teaches him to dress hair and to read passages from the Bible. Equiano considered him almost like a father, and hoped to work with him once he gained his freedom. This did not come to fruition, since Equiano was sold to Captain Doran.
What is the story of the slave owner who tries to have Equiano punished?
A Savannah slave-owner who tries to have Equiano punished after Equiano fights with one of his (Mr. Read's) slaves over an insult. Even though Equiano is legally free, Mr. Read tries to force Equiano to leave the ship, and might have been successful were it not for the intervention of his captain. Another example of how limited the protection of freedom was for blacks.
Why did Equiano leave Jamaica?
Hughes is a liar who tries to send Equiano elsewhere, and actually ties him up when Equiano complains. Equiano is only released because of his connection to Doctor Irving, but Hughes tries to shoot him as he paddles away. Another example of how little protection a free black man has.
What ship did Equiano go on?
Captain of the Grenada Planter, a ship that brings Equiano to the West Indies during his time as a freedman in London. He finds there that he is still mistreated and cheated by the whites.
Where does Equiano sail?
Captain of the Delaware, a ship Equiano enlists on while living as a freedman in London. It sails to Villa Franca, Nice, Leghorn, and Turkey.
Which ship brought Equiano back to England?
Captain of the Andromache, the ship that finally brought Equiano back to England from Jamaica, where he had traveled to help Doctor Irving.
Who was Equiano's abolitionist?
Equiano, however, continued to work with leading British abolitionists including William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson who urged Parliament to abolish the Slave Trade.
Who was Olaudah Equiano?
Olaudah Equiano (1745-1797) Olaudah Equiano, whose father was an Ibo chief, was born in 1745 in what is now Southern Nigeria. At the age of 11 years, Olaudah was captured by African slave traders and sold into bondage in the New World.
How many daughters did Olaudah Equiano have?
The couple had two daughters, one of whom survived to inherit her father’s estate. Olaudah Equiano died in 1797, ten years before the slave trade was abolished and 36 years before Parliament outlawed slavery throughout the British Empire.
What was the purpose of Equiano's lecture tour?
Equiano also embarked on a lecture tour of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland to promote his book particularly among the growing number of abolition committees it spawned. The intriguing title of Equiano’s autobiography is likely a reflection on other slave narratives that were heavily edited.
Who was Gustavus Vassa?
Equiano, given the name Gustavus Vassa by one of his many owners, was forced to serve several masters, among them a Virginia plantation owner, a British Naval officer, and a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania merchant. While a slave to the naval officer Equiano traveled between four continents.
Who was the first African to be appointed to the British government?
In 1787 Equiano became the first person of African ancestry to hold a post in the British Government when he was appointed to the post of Commissary for Stores to the Expedition for Freed Slaves. This abolitionist-supported venture would create the West African nation of Sierra Leone.
Is the book Equiano authentic?
Equiano’s autobiography, however, like that of his American counterpart, Frederick Douglass, which appeared half a century later, is deemed most authentic. Equiano’s narrative is more than descriptive. Unlike most slave narratives, he advanced a number of religious and economic arguments for the abolition of slavery.
Who was Olaudah Equiano?
Olaudah Equiano, (born c. 1745, Essaka [now in Nigeria]?—died March 31, 1797, London, England), 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 (1789), with its strong abolitionist stance ...
Where did Equiano go to get his freedom?
According to his own account, Equiano was kidnapped at age 11 and taken to the West Indies. From there he went to Virginia, where he was purchased by a sea captain, Michael Henry Pascal, with whom he traveled widely. He received some education and changed hands twice more before he bought his own freedom in 1766. After he settled in England, he 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 500 to 600 formerly enslaved people—and for their ill treatment before their journey ultimately led to his replacement.
Who is the author of the book The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano?
title page of Olaudah Equiano's autobiography. Title page from the first edition of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano; or, Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself (1789). Equiano is often regarded as the originator of the slave narrative because of his firsthand literary testimony against the slave trade.
Was Equiano born in North America?
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.
Who taught Equiano to trade?
Doran furthered the education of Equiano and taught Equiano to assist him in trading. In his early 20s, Doran helped Equiano to purchase his freedom. Writing of the moment he gained his freedom, Equiano wrote:
What was the importance of Equiano's biography?
Equiano’s biography became an important instrument of abolitionist propaganda.
What was Olaudah Equiano's role in the Slave Trade Act?
His autobiography ‘The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano ‘ played a pivotal role in turning public opinion in Britain against slavery. His accounts of slavery and its human suffering were a factor in the enactment of the Slave Trade Act of 1807.
Why did Equiano escape?
But, shortly after buying his freedom, slaveholders attempted to kidnap Equaino and return him to slavery. He only escaped by being able to prove his education. Equiano later pointed out the position of free slaves was little better than slaves because of the dreadful treatment, black men received.
What did Equiano do for the poor?
The revenue from book sales enabled Equiano to live independently of philanthropic backers and he could devote more time to campaigning against slavery. He also served as a leader for the poor black community of London. These were often freed slaves and their descendants but struggled to survive economically. Equiano also campaigned for the extension of the vote to working men. He was an active member of the Corresponding Society. He also supported the London Missionary society – a Christian organisation committed to spreading education and Christianity overseas.
What colony did Equiano end up in?
Equiano eventually ended up the British colony of Virginia. As a slave, he was given different names, including Gustavus Vassa. Equiano later wrote about the mistreatment of slaves on the Virginia plantations.
What was the significance of the book Equiano?
The book received good reviews, and many were surprised and moved by the quality of writing and his ability to depict life as a slave. The book made Equiano a prominent figure in literary circles. In 1788, Equiano was able to personally petition the king for the end of slavery.
Where was Equiano born?
The youngest son of a village leader, Equiano was born among the Ibo people in the kingdom of Benin, along the Niger River. He was "the greatest favourite with [his] mother.". His family expected to follow in his father's footsteps and become a chief, an elder, a judge.
What did Equiano do in 1773?
In 1773, he took part in an expedition to try to discover the Northwest Passage, a route through the arctic to the Pacific Ocean. Back in England, Equiano became an active abolitionist. He lectured against the cruelty of British slaveowners.
What happened to Equiano and his sister?
This is what happened, one day, while Equiano and his sister were at home alone. Two men and a woman captured the children. Several days later Equiano and his sister were separated. Equiano continued to travel farther and farther from home, day after day, month after month, exchanging masters along the way.
How long did it take for Equiano to get to the coast?
The kind treatment, however, was about to end. About six or seven months after being abducted, Equiano was brought to the coast, where he first encountered a slave ship and white men. As it was for all slaves, the Middle Passage for Equiano was a long, arduous nightmare.
Where did Equiano go after he was shipped to?
Less than two weeks after his arrival, he was shipped off to the English colony of Virginia, where he was purchased and put to work. Less than a month later, he had a new master -- Michael Henry Pascal, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. Under this master, who owned Equiano for the next seven years, Equiano would move to England, educate himself, and travel the world on ships under Pascal's command.
Who gave Equiano his name?
One of his masters, Henry Pascal, the captain of a British trading vessel, gave Equiano the name Gustavas Vassa, which he used throughout his life, though he published his autobiography under his African name.
What did Equiano learn?
Equiano also learnt about sailing in the sea, and assisted the crew during battles, apart from perfoming his main task that consisted on bringing gunpowder to the gun decks. After these war times he was sent by Pascal to England where he attended a school, learnt to read and write, and converted to Christianism.
What was the audience of Equiano's reading?
Equiano's reading audience was mostly composed of American and European abolitionists. His immediate purpose was to influence the British political leaders who were debating the slave trade issue in Parliament in the late 1780's.
What was Equiano's main duty on board the ship?
His job was to carry gunpowder from the magazine up to the gun decks.
Overview
Olaudah Equiano , known for most of his life as Gustavus Vassa (/ˈvæsə/), was a writer and abolitionist from, according to his memoir, the Eboe (Igbo) region of the Kingdom of Benin (today southern Nigeria). Enslaved as a child in Africa, he was taken to the Caribbean and sold as a slave to a Royal Navy officer. He was sold twice more but purchased his freedom in 1766.
As a freedman in London, Equiano supported the British abolitionist movement. He was part of the Sons …
Early life and enslavement
According to his memoir, Equiano was born in Essaka, Eboe, in the Kingdom of Benin around 1745. The village was in the southeast part of present-day Nigeria. In his autobiography he wrote: "My father, besides many slaves, had a numerous family, of which seven lived to grow up" and that he was the youngest son. He stated that his father was one of the elders or chiefs who sat in judgement with other elders to decide what to do about disputes or crimes. He refers to men cal…
Release
Robert King set Equiano to work on his shipping routes and in his stores. In 1765, when Equiano was about 20 years old, King promised that for his purchase price of 40 pounds (equivalent to £5,800 in 2021) he could buy his freedom. King taught him to read and write more fluently, guided him along the path of religion, and allowed Equiano to engage in profitable trading for his ow…
Freedom
By about 1768, Equiano had gone to England. He continued to work at sea, travelling sometimes as a deckhand based in England. In 1773 on the Royal Navy ship HMS Racehorse, he travelled to the Arctic in an expedition towards the North Pole. On that voyage he worked with Dr Charles Irving, who had developed a process to distill seawater and later made a fortune from it. Two years later, Irving recruited Equiano for a project on the Mosquito Coast in Central America, where he was to …
Pioneer of the abolitionist cause
Equiano settled in London, where in the 1780s he became involved in the abolitionist movement. The movement to end the slave trade had been particularly strong among Quakers, but the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade was founded in 1787 as a non-denominational group, with Anglican members, in an attempt to influence parliament directly. Under the Test Act, only those prepared to receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper according to the rites of the Churc…
Memoir
Entitled The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African (1789), the book went through nine editions in his lifetime. It is one of the earliest-known examples of published writing by an African writer to be widely read in England. By 1792, it was a best seller and had been published in Russia, Germany, Holland and the United States. It was the first influential slave narrative of what became a large literary genre. But Equiano's experience in …
Later years
During the American Revolutionary War, Britain had recruited black people to fight with it by offering freedom to those who left rebel masters. In practice, it also freed women and children, and attracted thousands of slaves to its lines in New York City, which it occupied, and in the South, where its troops occupied Charleston, South Carolina. When British troops were evacuated at the end of the war, their officers also evacuated these American slaves. They were resettled i…
Marriage and family
On 7 April 1792, Equiano married Susannah Cullen, a local woman, in St Andrew's Church, Soham, Cambridgeshire. The original marriage register containing the entry for Vassa and Cullen is held today by the Cambridgeshire Archives and Local Studies. He included his marriage in every edition of his autobiography from 1792 onwards. The couple settled in the area and had tw…