"I believe it is difficult for those who publish their own memoirs to escape the imputation of vanity…but when I compare my lot with that of most of my countrymen, I regard myself as a particular favorite of heaven, and acknowledge the mercies of Providence in every occurrence of my life. If, then, the following narrative does not appear sufficiently interesting to engage general attention, let my motive be some excuse for its publication."

-Olaudah Equiano

Biography—Criticism

Olaudah Equiano was born in a small village in present day Nigeria in 1745. At age 11, he and his sister were kidnapped and put on a slave ship that traveled through the Middle Passage. While en route through the Atlantic Ocean during the Middle Passage, Equiano was purchased by Michael Pascal, a British Naval Officer. Pascal introduced Equiano to naval life. When Equiano was on break between his naval voyages, he attended a school in London where he learned to read and write. In the 1750s, Equiano used the naval skills he had learned from Pascal and fought in the Seven Years War. Although Equiano helped England win the Seven Years Wear, he was sold to an unknown sea captain instead of gaining his freedom. Then, the sea captain sold Equiano to his third and final owner, a Quaker merchant named Robert King.

 While living in the Caribbean with King, Equiano saw first-hand how horrific slavery could be. In 1766, Equiano saved up enough money to buy his freedom from King. In 1775, Equiano helped to set up a new plantation in the Caribbean. Equiano later regretted being an overseer on the plantation because it was the home to many slaves. After Equiano saw how poorly the slaves were treated, he began to work with the Abolitionist Movement. To help in his fight against slavery, Equiano decided to write an autobiography in which he described his trip through Middle Passage and the accounts of his enslavement. Equiano entitled his autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African. Written by Himself. Equiano released his autobiography in the spring of 1789, and the book became an instant success. Equiano’s book became such a success because he was one of the few slaves who wrote a narrative on his own, and Equiano got sponsors in advance to back his book. Equiano first began selling his book in England. As a result, Equiano was asked to do lecture tours around England and campaign for the abolishment of slavery. In 1792, Equiano married a white Englishwoman named Susanna Cullen, and over the course of their marriage, Cullen gave birth to two daughters. In 1797, Equiano died.

 Equiano’s autobiography is still being studied today for its literary and historic value. However, a recent debate has emerged over whether or not Equiano actually was born in Africa and traveled through the Middle Passage. Vincent Carretta, a professor at the University of Maryland, claim that Equiano’s story may in fact be fiction. Carretta began researching Equiano’s life through his autobiography and secondary sources in order to compile a biography about Equiano. While doing his research, Carretta saw that Equiano’s baptismal record states that Equiano was born in South Carolina. Carretta published his findings in the footnotes of the biography that he had written on Equiano, but no one took note of his findings. However, after he finished writing Equiano’s biography, Carretta published his findings once again in an essay that would be submitted for a journal on slavery. This paper attracted the attention of many literary and historical scholars, and a controversy began over whether or not Equiano’s book could still be considered an autobiography or whether it had suddenly become fiction.

Carretta also found another document that could dismiss Equiano’s book as factual. While Equiano and some other slaves traveled on an Arctic Voyage, the muster roll claimed that Equiano was born in South Carolina. The other slaves on the muster roll had been described as being African-born. The last piece of evidence that Carretta uses against Equiano is that Equiano’s autobiography includes supplemental sources to aid his “imperfect memory” when he could not remember information from his young childhood. After finding this information from his research, Carretta claims that if Equiano had been born in South Carolina, then his book loses credibility as a historic document. Despite his findings, Carretta does not dismiss the accuracy or relevance of Equiano’s story, whether fact or fiction. Carretta believes that Equiano still deserves credit for his role in the antislavery movement because Equiano’s account of his travels through the Middle Passage and his childhood as a slave were incredibly accurate. Most scholars and professors still consider Equiano’s book to be a true autobiography; however, a conference will soon be held to determine the validity of Equiano’s autobiography.

 
Works by the Author:
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African (1788)

 
Works about the Author:
Carretta, Vincent. Equiano the African: Biography of a Self-Made Man. 2005

Related Links:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/equiano_olaudah.shtml
-About the life of Olaudah Equiano

http://www.princeton.edu/~howarth/304.Projects/Erera/Pages/Main.htm
-About his life and his book 

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20051121/blackburn
-Biography of Equiano