Olaudah Equiano, also known as Gustavus Vassa, was a prominent African American writer, abolitionist, and merchant who lived in the 18th century. He was born in what is now Nigeria in 1745 and was enslaved as a child. After being transported to the British colonies in the Americas, he worked to purchase his freedom and eventually became a successful merchant, sailor, and writer.
It is not clear if Equiano ever visited Belfast, Northern Ireland. However, as a sailor, he may have traveled to various ports throughout the British Empire, including Belfast.
Equiano’s most famous work is his 1789 autobiography, “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African,” which was one of the first and most influential works by an African writer to be published in English. In his book, Equiano wrote about his experiences as a slave, his journey to freedom, and his advocacy for the abolition of the slave trade. The book was widely read and helped to raise awareness about the injustices of slavery and the slave trade, and played a key role in the development of the abolitionist movement in Britain and its colonies.
In 1791, Equiano travelled around Ireland to promote his book that, the 4th edition had been published in Dublin. On 17 December of that year, he addressed a packed audience in the boardroom at the Poor House.
Today, Olaudah Equiano is remembered as a pioneering figure in African American and African diaspora history, and his life and work continue to be studied and celebrated.
To learn more about how former slaves like Equiano visited Ireland to end slavery, book the ANTI SLAVERY BELFAST TOUR!
Olaudah Equiano
