Existing comment:
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or, Gustavus Vassa, The African, 1809
Equiano;s autobiography was widely read and very influential on the burgeoning abolition movement. It also inspired other slave narratives, including that of Frederick Douglass.
Some historians believe Equiano was born in America instead of West Africa. Nevertheless, his vivid description of the African slave trade has the ring of truth from either first-hand experience or a faithful recounting. |