Charles Irving
Charles Irving
Charles Irving
Charles Irving
Charles Irving
Charles Irving
EQUIANO'S WORLD
GUSTAVUS VASSA
AND THE ABOLITION OF THE BRITISH SLAVE TRADE
ABOUT
This project on Gustavus Vassa (Olaudah Equiano) focuses on the abolition movement. The subject of the project is the life of Olaudah Equiano, alias Gustavus Vassa, the African, whose Interesting Narrative, published in 1789, has been credited as influential in the abolition of the British slave trade, implemented in 1807, and which is widely read in English literature and Black Studies courses, and remains in print in several popular editions. There are over 25,000 sites on the web relating to this most interesting African and black Briton. His story is a classic slave narrative, written in the richness of eighteenth-century literature, by someone who did not know any English until he was eleven. In the early 1790s, the heady days influenced by Revolutionary France on those interested in Parliamentary reform, the abolition of the slave trade, and the ending of slavery. Vassa was arguably the most influential black in London, at a time when the black community numbered perhaps 20,000, making London one of the largest “African” cities, if not the largest, in the world at the time.
CONTEXT
Establishing context is important in understanding the significance of Equiano's World and the role that Gustavus Vassa played in the abolition movement. Vassa's autobiography does not always clearly establish context, and sometimes his own misunderstandings cloud an appreciation of his own evolution as an intellectual and political activist.
TRAVELS OF VASSA
Vassa traveled extensively, having come from the interior of the Bight of Biafra, in the heart of Igboland, and taken the coast, probably leaving via the slave port of Bonny in 1754. By his own account, he was taken to Barbados and then to Virginia, where he was bought by British naval officer, Captain Pascal, and taken to England.
ASSOCIATES OF VASSA
Vassa met many important and influential individuals during his career, some while he was a slave and others after he had earned his emancipation. Other individuals figure prominently in his life, although he had little or no contact with them. This portal is intended to identify many of the key individuals in his life.
QUESTIONING EQUIANO
Inevitably, there are questions about Vassa's life, including where he was born, the significance of his name, his attitudes towards race and culture, what he had to say about slavery, and the authenticity of certain documents. The portal also includes a Forum where key issues can be discussed and further questions raised.
STUDYING EQUIANO
Studying Equiano requires access to the scholarly literature and key documents and other primary source materials. This portal has a comprehensive bibliography with links to published material that are permissible in terms of copyright restrictions. There are also links to relevant websites.