Abolitionism in America

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Olaudah Equiano. The Life and Adventures of Olaudah Equiano, or , Gustavus Vassa, the African: From an Account Written by himself. New York: Samuel Wood & Sons, 1829.
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Olaudah Equiano
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Olaudah Equiano (ca. 1745-1797) was one of the first blacks to level a written attack on the slave trade. His autobiography, published in 1789, sold extremely well and was effective in spreading anti-slavery sentiment. Equiano wrote about being kidnapped into slavery from his homeland, about his life as a slave in the West Indies, and ultimately, his return to freedom. Equiano’s publication was an early and influential prototype for later American slave narratives.

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Continue to A Slave's Life

 

Cornell University Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections Cornell University Library