A. The Life of OlaudahEquiano (c.1745 - c.1797)
Source:
OlaudahEquiano is famous for his autobiography, an account of his childhood in an area called ‘Eboe’ in
Guinea as the son of the chief and experiences as a former slave. The book, which was called The Interesting
Narrative of the Life of OlaudahEquiano or GustavusVassa, the African, became immensely popular at the height
of the anti-slavery campaign. Around the age of eleven, Equiano and his sister were kidnapped and shipped through
the notorious middle passage. A British naval officer, Michael Pascal, later bought Equiano and introduced him to
the naval way of life. Pascal also renamed Equiano ‘GustavusVassa’ after a 16th-century Swedish nobleman who
led the Swedes in a war of independence against the Danes to become the first Swedish king.
Initially Equiano was brought to England, where he learnt to read and write at a school in London inbetween
naval actions. Equiano saw action in major naval battles during the Seven Years War in the 1750s, travelling to
Canada and the Mediterranean. He had fought for the British and felt entitled to freedom and some of the prize
money handed out to sailors. But he was cheated of this income and sold to another sea-captain who took him to
Monserrat in the Caribbean where he was sold to Robert King, a Quaker merchant. During this time he was
exposed to the horrors of slavery, seeing fellow Africans treated abominably. But Equiano was more fortunate than
some of his peers, and after three years of saving his income he was able to buy his freedom in 1766 for £40.
He then returned to England, becoming a hairdresser but soon returned to sea. In 1775 he became involved in a
project to set up a new plantation on the Caribbean coast of Central America. During this time Equiano and his
associates bought people but he states in his autobiography that he did “every thing I could to comfort the poor
creatures. . .” This was the 1770s when there was no organized anti-slavery movement but it nonetheless conflicted
withEquiano’s later protest against slavery and his associations with Granville Sharpe, a prominent British
Abolitionist.Equiano appealed to Sharpe in a bid to save former slave and friend, John Annis who had been
illegally kidnapped by his former owner. Unfortunately, Annis could not be helped. Equiano’s experience as a
slave-owner turned sour when he was again cheated of money and threatened with re-enslavement.
His book appeared in the spring of 1789 and was, in general, favorably reviewed. He then sold the book
throughout Britain, undertaking lecture tours and actively campaigning to abolish the slave trade. In 1792 he
married an Englishwoman, Susanna Cullen. They had two daughters, one of whom inherited a sizeable estate from
her father when Equiano died in 1797.
Questions
1. Why is Equiano also known as GustavusVassa?
2. What is different or unique about Equiano’s life compared to the experience of other enslaved Africans?
Group 3: After reading these three passages and answer the questions, identify overall themes that exist throughout
all of the pieces. Give specific explanations of how you came up with your answers.
Slavery & War: This common is often the theater of war. From what I can recollect of these battles, they appear to
have been irruptions of one little state or district on the other, to obtain prisoners or booty. Perhaps those traders
who brought the European goods I mentioned amongst us incited them to this. Such a mode of obtaining slaves in
Africa is common; and I believe more are procured this way, and by kidnapping than any other. When a trader
wants slaves, he applies to a chief for them, and tempts him with his wares. We have firearms, bows and arrows,
broad two-edged swords and javelins; we have shields also which cover a man from head to foot. All are taught to
use of these weapons; even our women are warriors. Our whole district is a kind of militia. The spoils were divided
according to the merit of the warriors. Those prisoners, which were not sold or redeemed, we kept as slave: but how
different was their condition from that of the slaves in the West Indies! With us they do no more work than other
members of the community. Some of these slaves have even slaves under them as their own property, and for their
own use.
Questions
1. According to Equiano, who is to blame for most of the wars that take place?
2. What kind of weapons do the West Africans use?
3. Why would women be trained to be used as warriors?
4. Why does Equiano mention the slaves that exist where he is from?
Religion: The natives believe that there is one Creator of all things, and that he lives in the sun; according to some,
he smokes a pipe, which is our own favourite luxury. They believe he governs events, especially our deaths or
captivity. Some however believe in the transmigration of souls in a certain degree. Those spirits, which are not
transmigrated, such as our dear friends or relations, they believe always attend them, and guard them from the bad
spirits or their foes. We compute the year from the day on which the sun crosses the line, and on its setting that
evening there is a general shout throughout the land. They have many offerings, particularly at full moons. These
offerings, when made by one of the heads of a family, serve for the whole. We practiced circumcision like the Jews,
and made offerings and feasts on that occasion in the same manner as they did. Like them also, our children were
named for some event, some circumstance, or fancied foreboding at the time of their birth. I have remarked that the
natives of this part of Africa are extremely cleanly. This necessary habit of decency was with us a part of religion,
and therefore we had many purifications and washings; as the Jews. Those that touched the dead at any time were
obliged to wash and purify themselves before they could enter a dwelling-house. Though we had no places of
public worship, we had priests and magicians, or wise men. They calculated our time, and foretold events. They
wore beards, and when they died their sons succeeded them. None accompanied their funerals but those of the same
profession or tribe. These buried them after sunset, and always returned from the grave by a different way from that
which they went.
Questions
1. Which religion does Equiano refer to as being similar to his own?
2. What were some of the similarities between the two religions?
3. Why did the people who attended funerals take a different way home?
Medicine & Health: These magicians were also our doctors. They were very successful in healing wounds and
expelling poisons. The success of which no doubt they derived from their unbound influence over the superstition
of the people. A virgin had been poisoned, but it was not known by whom: the doctors order the corpse to be taken
up by some persons, and carried to the grave. As soon as the bearers had raised it on their shoulders, they seemed
seized with some sudden impulse, and ran to and fro unable to stop themselves. At last, after having passed
throughout a number of thorns and prickly bushes unhurt, the corpse fell from them close to a house, and defaced it
in the fall; and, the owner being taken up, he immediately confessed the poisoning.
Questions
1. What seems to be the biggest health problem that exists in Equiano’s society?
2. What was the point of Equiano telling the story of the poisoned woman?