olaudah equiano the interesting narrative of the life of olaudah equiano, or gustavus vassa, the african london, 1789 vol. Of contents to the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons of the parliament of great britain. The author's birth and parentage his being kidnapped with his sister their separation surprise at meeting again are finally separated account of the different places and incidents the author met with till his arrival on the coast the effect the sight of a slave ship had on him he sails for the west indies horrors of a slave ship arrives at barbadoes, where the cargo is sold and dispersed. The author is carried to virginia his distress surprise at seeing a picture and a watch is bought by captain pascal, and sets out for england his terror during the voyage arrives in england his wonder at a fall of snow is sent to guernsey and in some time goes on board a ship of war with his master some account of the expedition against louisbourg under the command of admiral boscawen in 1758.

The author is baptized narrowly escapes drowning goes on an expedition to the mediterranean incidents he met with there is witness to an engagement between some english and french ships a particular account of the celebrated engagement between admiral boscawen and mons. The author's reflections on his situation is deceived by a promise of being delivered his despair at sailing for the west indies arrives at montserrat, where he is sold to mr. King various interesting instances of oppression, cruelty, and extortion, which the author saw practised upon the slaves in the west indies during his captivity from the year 1763 to 1766 address on it to the planters. Some account of brimstone hill in montserrat favourable change in the author's situation he commences merchant with three pence his various success in dealing in the different islands, and america and the impositions he meets with in his transactions with europeans a curious imposition on human nature danger of the surfs in the west indies remarkable instance of kidnapping a free mulatto the author is nearly murdered by doctor perkins in savannah. 1745 the interesting narrative of the life of olaudah equiano, or gustavus vassa, the african. When he was about eleven, equiano was kidnapped and sold to slave traders headed to the west indies.

Though he spent a brief period in the state of virginia, much of equiano's time in slavery was spent serving the captains of slave ships and british navy vessels. 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. In service to captain pascal and subsequent merchant masters, equiano traveled extensively, visiting england, holland, scotland, gibraltar, nova scotia, the caribbean, pennsylvania, georgia, and south carolina. He was purchased in 1763 by robert king, a quaker merchant from philadelphia, for whom he served as a clerk. Equiano, who was allowed to engage in his own minor trade exchanges, was able to save enough money to purchase his freedom in 1766.

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He settled in england in 1767, attending school and working as an assistant to scientist dr. Equiano continued to travel, making several voyages aboard trading vessels to turkey, portugal, italy, jamaica, grenada, and north america. In 1773 he accompanied irving on a polar expedition in search of a northeast passage from europe to asia. Equiano published his autobiography, the interesting narrative of the life of olaudah equiano, or gustavus vassa, the african, in 1789 as a two volume work. Following the publication of his interesting narrative, equiano traveled throughout great britain as an abolitionist and author.

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Volume i opens with a description of equiano's native african culture, including customs associated with clothing, food, and religious practices. He likens the inhabitants of eboe to the early jews, and offers a theory that dark african skin is a result of exposure to the hot, tropical climates. In so doing, equiano hints that africans may be the indirect relatives of christian europeans through their jewish ancestry and argues against slavery as an affront to all humans: let the polished and haughty european recollect that his ancestors were once, like the africans, uncivilized, and even barbarous. Did nature make them inferior to their sons? and should they too have been made slaves? every rational mind answers, no p.

Equiano's journey begins when he is kidnapped from his village with his sister, from whom he is eventually separated. He describes a long voyage through various african regions, marked by brief tenures as a slave to a chieftain, in a very pleasant country and a wealthy widow who resides in a town called tinmah, in the most beautiful country i had yet seen in africa pp. Ultimately, equiano is sold back to traders who bring him sometimes by land, sometimes by water, through different countries and various nations, till. Equiano is sold to the owner of a slave ship bound for the west indies, and he goes on to describe the middle passage x2014 the journey across the atlantic ocean that brought enslaved africans to north america. His descriptions of extreme hardships and desperate conditions are punctuated by his astonishment at new sights and experiences. The narration occasionally reflects the childish wonder of the young equiano at the time of his journey, but it also highlights his culture shock at his introduction to european culture and european treatment of slaves. Though he witnesses the sale of slaves in the west indies, equiano himself is not purchased, and he stays with the dutch ship, traveling from the west indies to north america.

There he is purchased and put to work on a virginia plantation, doing light field work and household chores. He is not in virginia long before michael henry pascal, a lieutenant in the british royal navy and captain of a merchant ship, purchases him as a present to some of his friends in england p. During their spring 1757 voyage to england, pascal renames the eleven year old equiano gustavus vassa, and equiano forges a friendship with a white american boy named robert baker, which lasts until baker's death two years later.