# Olaudah Equiano

## Biography

Olaudah Equiano, also known as Gustavus Vassa, was a prominent abolitionist and writer, born around 1745 in what is now southeastern Nigeria. At the age of eleven, he was kidnapped from his Igbo village along with his sister and sold into slavery. He endured the brutal transatlantic journey, suffering under various enslavers in the West Indies and Virginia before being purchased by a British naval officer, Michael Henry Pascal, who renamed him Gustavus Vassa. Equiano served with Pascal in the Royal Navy, gaining valuable maritime experience and some education. In 1766, he successfully purchased his freedom. Settling in London, he became a fervent advocate for the abolition of the slave trade. His impactful autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself, published in 1789, vividly detailed the horrors of slavery and became a cornerstone of the burgeoning abolitionist movement, playing a significant role in changing public opinion. Equiano remained a dedicated campaigner until his death in 1797.

## Books

- [The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By Himself](https://samolit.com/books/95853)