Equiano, Oloudah

Olaudah Equiano (1745 - 1797), also known as Gustavus Vassa, was a well - known African author and abolitionist. Born in what is now Nigeria, he was kidnapped at the age of 11 by slave traders and sold to British slavers. Later, he worked as a British naval officer, a merchant, and an explorer. He purchased his freedom in 1766. ;

Acclaimed eighteenth-century author, as a child Equaino was kidnapped in Africa. Later, he purchased his freedom and became a leading figure in London's anti-slavery movement. All his life he fought tirelessly to abolish the slave trade.;