The Life of Olaudah Equiano, (or its full title, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African) is the memoir of Olaudah Equiano, who was known as Gustavus Vassa during his life. It tells the story of his enslavement, and his life after buying his freedom. It is one of the first of the genre known as slave narratives, where slaves share their life experiences in an attempt to expose the horrors of slavery. It was extremely successful in its time, quickly going through nine printings. It was widely read in England and its success is one of the ways in which the abolitionist movement gained popular momentum in Britain.
Other examples of slave...
