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Birth
Olaudah was born in the Eboe province at a village known as Essaka, in the area that is now known as southern Nigeria. According to his autobiography, he was born to the chief of a tribe. -
Period: to
Timeline of the Life of Oaudah Equiano
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Kidnap
At the age of 11, Equiano and his sister were kidnapped and held captive for 6 to 7 months. -
Boards the slave ship
Equiano was placed on a slave-ship, with approximately 250 other slaves, which travelled across the horrific Middle Passage. It first arrived at Barbados for two weeks. After, in 1757, the slave-ship arrived at Virginia, an English colony. -
Arrival In Virginia and purchase
He was shipped across the Atlantic to Barbados to the West Indies and then to Virginia where he was sold to a Royal Navy Officer, Lieutenant Michael Pascal for 40 pounds in, who renamed him 'Gustavus Vassa' after the 16th-century Swedish king. -
Arrival in England
Equiano spent part of his time with Pascal at England with the Guerin family who were relatives of Pascal at at Blackheath in London where he learnt how to read and write and to do arithmetic. However, Equiano spent much of his time at sea, on warships and trading vessels. -
Resale
Pascal then sold Equiano to a ship captain in London James Doran, who took him to Montserrat, where he was again sold to the prominent merchant Robert King. -
Freedom
Despite being a slave, he used any commercial opportunities to earn money. He bought his freedom for 40 pounds. He was declared a free man the day after. As a free man, he spent his time doing many things. He travelled around the world to places such as the Arctic, Mediterranean and the Atlantic. -
Works in "Sons of Africa"
He was a prominent member of the 'Sons of Africa', a group of 12 black men who campaigned for abolition of slavery. -
Improving conditions on slave ships
Olaudah Equiano led a delegation to the House of Commons to support a bill to improve conditions on slave ships, by limiting the number of enslaved Africans that ships could carry. -
Publishes his autobiography
He published his autobiography, 'The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African'. He travelled widely promoting the book, which became very popular, supporting the abolitionist cause, and making Equiano a wealthy man. It is one of the earliest books published by a black African writer. -
Marriage
Equiano married an Englishwoman, Susanna Cullen, and they had two daughters. -
Death
Equiano died on 31 March 1797 at the age of 52.