Equiano Equaino Olaudah: A Life Of A Slave

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Equiano’s narrative not only opens doors to ending slavery, but gives us some clear insight about the many struggles the slaves endure. “Equaino Olaudah was born in the mid-1700s, in the tribe of Ibo in the village of Essaka (Benin) from the kingdom of Benin which is southeastern Nigeria, West Africa”. According to the author, “Equiano was captured by black slave raider at age 11or 12, then he and his sister were kidnapped. After he and his sister were kidnapped, they were separated, he spent months in the administration of a dark ruler, whose treatment of him was mellow compared and the ruthlessness of the British slave merchants to whom he was sold before long. “He was taken to Barbados in West Indies by the slave merchants, however, he was not sold there, the traders took him to America, he was bought by a Virginia plantation owner in America”. Equiano was sold to the British Royal Navy officer who was either a captain or lieutenant, he renamed Equiano Gustavus Vassa, he was named after the Swedish King and a freedom fighter of the sixteen- century. “Equiano worked for the officer as a personal helper or a ship overseer, and he usually traveled with the officer to so many countries and colonies on the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean”. “Many of the white seamen that were good and friendly helped educate him, …show more content…

In 1762, he was sold to a West Indian broker, who sold him to Robert King, a Philadelphia Quaker and vendor. “Lord showed him about seagoing business undertakings and permitted him enough available time to work at different endeavors to gain enough cash to buy his flexibility”. “In July 10,1766, Equiano had worked hard to keep enough money to buy his freedom as well as to begin a business of his own, “working on commercial vessels and occasional scientific expeditions to Central America and the Arctic

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