Olaudah Equiano

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Olaudah Equiano was kidnapped in an African village at the age of 11, then sold to a planter of Virginia having been brought in Americas. He was later bought back by an officer of the British navy which offered him as present to his cousins. After 10 years of works as slave during which he worked on a slave vessel, and been able to put aside enough money, Equiano bought back his freedom. At the age of fourty four, he wrote and published his autobiography under the original title of " The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Now Gustavus Vassa, The African Written by Himself ". Two hundred years later this book is recognized as one of the first books writes in English by an ex-slave, and marks the beginning of a new literary genre: slaves' reports. Equiano remembers himself his childhood to Essaka (a village situated in country Ibo of current Nigeria) where he was introduced to the traditions and so describes the African traditional life before the succession of the slavery. Through its life of sailor, Equiano also describes its journeys and the countries which he discovered (Americas, Turkey etc.) as well as his participation with diverse naval battles. He also approaches his role on the British abolitionist movement of which it was one of the leaders. He contributed to become known in 1783 the murder of African 130 cast in the sea by slave traders who had then tried to obtain by the insurances the repayment of the slaves "lost" offshore. He also played an important role in the first expedition of slaves freed towards Sierra-Léone in 1787. Gustavo Vassa's autobiography became a best-seller which chased in popularity the famous "Robin Crusoe" of Daniel Defoe. Equiano published nine various editions before his death in 1797 among which an American edition 1791  and German and Dutch editions (respectively on 1790 And 1791). In 1837, 9 the other edition had been published. Equiano had not only become integrated into the slave society, but had in more become a read and recognized author of the end of the 18è century.