Like other sailors who lived during the 18 th century, Equiano saw more of the globe during and after his enslavement than most of his contemporaries, visiting various American colonies, Nova Scotia, Turkey, Portugal, Italy, even the Arctic. That’s an understatement! Most of Equiano’s 12-year enslavement was spent as a sailor on board merchant and slave ships, though he was enslaved for a brief time on a plantation in Virginia. “My life and fortune have been extremely chequered, and my adventures various,” wrote Olaudah Equiano in his autobiography. Read an excerpt.Īdam Hochschild, author of Bury the Chains.
Marcus Rediker, author of The Slave Ship. They begin their discussion by remembering the remarkable life of Olaudah Equiano, 1745?–1797. They talk about the heyday of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the birth of the British abolitionist movement. In episode 2 of the History of American Slavery, hosts Rebecca Onion and Jamelle Bouie explore the shape of slavery during the late 18 th century.
