Degree Type
Thesis
Date of Award
1-1-2003
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
History
Major
History
Abstract
The contributions of Olaudah Equiano to the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade are as impressive as they are numerous. Equiano was a voice for the thousands of Africans being enslaved by Europeans, for profit, in the closing decades of the eighteenth century. Equiano's time in slavery was not as brutal as most other accounts, and he was educated both in England and at sea. He used his ability to communicate with socially and politically conscious audiences in England and the United States. His memoir, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, Written By Himself was very influential in ending the slave trade. Equiano's first-hand account of the horrors of slavery was immensely popular on both sides of the Atlantic with sales numbering in the thousands. Due to the popularity of the memoir, the book was reprinted nine times in Great Britain in Equiano's life and contemporaneously printed in America, Germany, and Russia. The list of subscribers is a Who's Who of important political, religious and social leaders. The publication of the memoir and the numerous letters written to dignitaries and newspapers by Equiano and his allies show his commitment and determination to see the ending of the slave trade. Even though Equiano died a decade before the resolution, his contributions are worthy of attention.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.31274/rtd-20200803-121
Copyright Owner
Elaine S Bahr
Copyright Date
2003
Language
en
OCLC Number
53194270
File Format
application/pdf
File Size
80 pages
Recommended Citation
Bahr, Elaine S., "The voice of Africa: reevaluating the contributions of Olaudah Equiano, the former slave, in ending the Atlantic slave trade" (2003). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 19899.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/19899
