Equiano, Olaudah
c.1745-1797 · Contribution: 1789
Literature & Writing
Autobiography and abolitionist writing; 'The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African' (1789) described his capture in Africa, the Middle Passage, enslavement, and eventual freedom
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- Born
- c.1745-1797
- Category
- Literature & Writing
Impact on the world
Equiano's narrative put a human face on the horrors of the slave trade for a mass European readership, directly advancing the movement to abolish it.
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British Library
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