Olaudah Equiano: Black abolitionist
Depiction of Equiano from his book.
Olaudah Equiano visited Aberdeen in 1792 during a tour to publicise his book, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano.
Equiano and other Black abolitionists, such as Ignatius Sancho and Ottobah Cugoano, played a central role in the campaign. Equiano’s book was published shortly before the first parliamentary debate on abolition in 1789.
His first-hand account of his enslavement in West Africa and the horrors of the transatlantic crossing was used as a powerful argument against the trade in enslaved people, while pro-slavery activists attempted to cast doubt on its accuracy. Along with Cugoano’s similar autobiography, it was one of the first books published by a Black African in Europe.
‘The first object which saluted my eyes when I arrived on the coast was the sea, and a slave ship…I was immediately handled and tossed up to see if I were sound by some of the crew; and I was now persuaded that I had gotten into a world of bad spirits, and that they were going to kill me.’
Olaudah Equiano, 1789
Advert for the sale of Equiano's Interesting narrative in Aberdeen
As well as an account of his enslavement and the horrors of the transatlantic crossing, Equiano’s 1789 book also recorded his naval service during the Seven Years’ War. He wrote about how he bought his own freedom, his life in London, various journeys to the Caribbean, America and the Arctic, and his conversion to Christianity.
