1789-May-15: Olaudah Equiano published his autobiography, The Interesting Narrative, which became a cornerstone of the abolitionist movement and circulated w…

1789-May-15: Olaudah Equiano published his autobiography, The Interesting Narrative, which became a cornerstone of the abolitionist movement and circulated widely throughout the Caribbean. Equiano’s firsthand account of the Middle Passage and his subsequent experiences as a mariner provided a powerful voice for the millions of enslaved Africans in the Atlantic world. Scott highlights Equiano as a “masterless man” who utilized his mobility to advocate for the end of the slave trade. His work traveled across the Atlantic via the same maritime networks that would later carry news of the French and Haitian Revolutions. Equiano’s success as a writer and activist served as an early inspiration for black self-determination across the Americas.