The Endeavors of Olaudah Equiano

Not all slavery consists of working in agriculture or sweatshops. Olaudah Equiano is one of the many and first Africans to board a slave ship for trade. He was born in what is now Isseke, Nigeria in 1745. Olaudah was a son to a mother and chief, and a brother to five other siblings. He was exposed to slavery at a young age. Africans who owned slaves were at risk of becoming slaves themselves. At the age of eleven, he was kidnapped along with his sister by Nigerian criminals, and sold to European traders.

It was not long until him and his sister were separated. He exchanged masters often, and received family-like treatment, but six months later, he found himself involved in the Middle Passage. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano gives an insight on Olaudah’s struggles during The Middle Passage.

History of The Middle Passage

The Middle Passage was the voyage of enslaved people across the Atlantic from Africa to the Americas; the middle leg of a three-part trade in slaves and goods between Europe, Africa, and the Americas (“Middle Passage”).

It is stated in his narrative that he could hear the shrieks of women and groans of death. The conditions on the slave ship were terrible and like nothing Olaudah had ever seen before. He encountered Caucasian men for the first time in his life and it was not in a good way. The white men aboard were wealthy and had a good amount of food to spare.

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Any extra food they had was thrown in the ocean. While the slaves were sleeping squeezed at the bottom of the boat, the traders slept comfortably in big, luxurious rooms at the top of the ship.

While Olaudah witnessed the horrific events slaves went through, he had yet to be purchased himself. It wasn’t until he was purchased to work on a Virginia plantation to do light chores, but this did not last long. British Navy lieutenant Michael Henry Pascal purchased Olaudah and renamed him Gustavus Vassa. He joined Pascal on his ventures during the Seven Years’ War. The two grew to have a strong relationship, in which Equiano resided in London with Pascal’s two sisters. They were attentive of Equiano and taught him how to read and write. Despite Equiano’s loyalty, Pascal sold him to Captain James Doran, captain of a ship destined for the West Indies.

Olaudah’s first encounter with Doran struck him with unexpectedness. He was asked by Doran if he knew him and he did not. He then told him he is now his slave. Olaudah told him his master could not sell him to anyone else. Doran questioned him because he knew Pascal had purchased him. Doran replied saying he spoke “too much” English, and if he did not follow orders and quiet down, he would suppress him.

Equiano began to think his new circumstances were God’s punishments for his sins.

He was taken back to the West Indies, where he was frightened at the glimpse of Montserrat. The thought of fear arose in his mind displaying nothing but misery, stripes, and chains. He did not know what to expect with his new master, considering his first conversation with him, and he was not eager to experience more of his cruelty and arrogance.

Following Pascal’s orders, Doran sold Olaudah to Mr. Robert King, a ‘generous and sympathetic’ Quaker trader who hired him to work a variety of occupations. These included packing boats to accounting and assisting as a personal servant. In addition, King often hired out Equiano’s favors to other merchants. Thomas Farmer, a captain of King’s, counted on Equiano for voyages to North America from the West Indies.

I also became so useful to the captain on shipboard, that many times, when he used to ask for me to go with him, though it should be but for twenty-four hours, to some of the islands near us, my master would answer he could not spare me, at which the captain would swear, and would not go the trip; and tell my master I was better to him on board than any three white men he had; for they used to behave ill in many respects, particularly in getting drunk. (Equiano 115)

Equiano began trading fruit and started his own trading business throughout each voyage. Whilst he faced difficulties and denigrating remarks from white buyers who refused to pay for goods, or demand dishonest reimbursements, Equiano earned a small amount of savings and was determined to acquire his freedom and return to England. King and Captain Farmer accused him once of planning an escape, but Equiano’s evidence of loyalty quashed their fears. Guilty over the accusation, King promised to lend Equiano money towards his freedom if the slave could raise an adequate amount himself. (Osborne, Kristen) Three years later, Equiano finally bought his freedom for $58.53.

He returned to London to work as a servant for a while, before finding the Sierra Leone resettlement project, which was organized to offer a secure place for freed slaves to live and work. Olaudah later became involved in the movement to abolish slavery in 1786. He was the founder of the “Sons of Africa”, a group of 12 black men who strived for abolition. Two years later, he published his autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. The book became immensely popular, as he traveled extensively to propagandize it. It helped the abolitionist movement, and made him a successful and wealthy man.

Equiano’s later travels landed him in Turkey, Martinique, Georgia, Montserrat, Grenada, France, and even to the North Pole. This mission’s purpose was to establish a route to India, but was not a success. Throughout his expeditions, Equiano proved himself to be extremely capable and brilliant. He had successfully learned how to read and write, and gain mastery of navigation. He then took up the occupation of hair dressing being taught by Daniel Queen.

He also settled on seeking God in a deeper way than he had formerly done. In an experience with a Methodist man, he came to depict a new way of clarifying the Bible. It became evident to him that alms-giving alone could not secure God’s grace and salvation. Despite having some doubts, Equiano became a member of the Methodist church.

However, even as a free man, Equiano experienced dark times as he contemplated suicide before he turned to the Protestant religion and found peace in his faith. He was distressed after the traumatic event of his friend being kidnapped off a boat they were on and enslaved in America, his friend later died in slavery in America despite Equiano’s attempts to find and free him. (Moloney, Aisling)

Not too many voyages later, Equiano approved his friend Doctor Irving’s proposal to work as a supervisor on a new plantation in Jamaica. He was not in Jamaica long before he sailed back to England to work for Governor Macnamara. Macnamara requested Equiano serve as a teacher in Africa, but the Bishop of the Church opposed his petition.

He also spoke about the positive benefits of interracial marriage which included an end to racial discord and a strengthening of Britain as a whole. In 1792, he married an English woman named Susannah Cullen, and they had two children. Susannah died in 1795. Equiano died in 1797, never seeing the end of the slave trade he fought so hard to have abolished. (“Olaudah Equiano”)

Olaudah and Susannah were survived by their two daughters, Anna Maria and Joanna. As if the death of their parents wasn’t enough, Joanna’s older sister Anna died at the age of four. This left their youngest Joanna to inherit Equiano’s fortune worth more than $95,578,000 today. She went on to marry congregational minister, Rev. Henry Bromley, but had no children with him. She died of uterine disease in 1857 at the age of 61. Susannah, Anna Maria, and Joanna were the only immediate family who could tell of Olaudah, but they were no longer alive.

The End of Slavery

Slavery was finally abolished in England 10 years after his death, and today we can credit Olaudah for his contributions towards abolition in the British colonies. His slave-narrative sold over a several thousand copies. The detailed memoir exposing the abomination of slavery motivated Parliament’s verdict to end the British slave trade in 1807. Not only did his book further the cause for abolition, it also influenced other great writers we know of today, such as Frederick Douglass, and Booker T. Washington.

We owe it to our past people that we live of a life of freedom and opportunity. Although there is still forced labor in different parts around the world, there are more ways to help victims, and incarcerate those responsible. Today’s modern slavery consists of sexual exploitation and forced labor in drug cartels. We are lucky enough that we are not auctioned, and traded for goods we can get today at a grocery store. Olaudah’s journey to the New World, is one of the many stories that we have available to us today through the click of a button. Slavery in the British colonies could have still been a possibly if it weren’t for Olaudah Equiano.