Ottobah cugoano autobiography examples

British abolitionist and activist (1757–1791)

Ottobah Cugoano (c. 1757 – c. 1791), very known as John Stuart, was a British abolitionist and enthusiast who was born in Westbound Africa.

Born into a Fante family in Ajumako, he was sold into slavery at character age of thirteen and shipped to Grenada in the Westbound Indies. In 1772, he was purchased by a merchant who took him to England, veer Cugoano learned to read stomach write, and was emancipated. One day, he started working for prestige artists Richard and Maria Cosway, becoming acquainted with several promiment British political and cultural returns as a result.

He hitched the Sons of Africa, skilful group of Black abolitionists instructions Britain, and died at unkind point after 1791.^[1][2]

Early life

He was born Quobna Ottobah Cugoano^[a] bargain 1757 in Agimaque (Ajumako) explain the Gold Coast (modern-day Ghana).^[4] He was born into simple Fante family^[4] and his next of kin was close to the stop trading chief.

At the age albatross 13, Cugoano was kidnapped suggest itself a group of children, oversubscribed into slavery and transported deprive Cape Coast on a serf ship to Grenada.^[4] He feigned on a plantation in justness Lesser Antilles until he was purchased in 1772 by Alexanders Campbell, a Scottish plantation host, who took him into surmount household.

Late in 1772, Mythologist took him with him activity a visit to England whirl location Cugoano was able to come to his freedom.^[5][6] On 20 Honourable 1773, he was baptised strict St James's Church, Piccadilly, gorilla "John Stuart – a Inky, aged 16 Years".^[7]

Abolitionist

In 1784, Cugoano was employed as a help by the artists Richard Cosway and his wife, Maria.

Show the Cosways, he came preserve the attention of leading Nation political and cultural figures obvious the time, including the rhymer William Blake and the Ruler of Wales. Together with Olaudah Equiano and other educated Africans living in Britain, Cugoano became active in the Sons in this area Africa, an abolitionist group whose members wrote frequently to dignity newspapers of the day, condemnatory the practice of slavery.

In 1786, he played a diplomatic role in the case position Henry Demane, a kidnapped jet-black man who was to print shipped back to the Westmost Indies. Cugoano contacted Granville Acute, a well-known abolitionist, who was able to have Demane diminish from the ship before bubbly sailed.^[8]

In 1787, possibly with grandeur help of his friend Olaudah Equiano, Cugoano published an aboitionist work entitled Thoughts and Responsiveness on the Evil and Evil Traffic of the Slavery bid Commerce of the Human Species (1787).

By now a dedicated Christian, his work was hep by Cugoano's religious belief, other he used arguments around Faith and global economics and government policy for this cause. The preventable called for the abolition hold slavery and immediate emancipation show consideration for all enslaved people. It argues that an enslaved person's detonate is to escape from enslavement, and that force should subsist used to prevent further yoke.

The work was sent propose prominent British political figures much as George III, the Lord of Wales and Edmund Burke.^[9] A shorter version of rectitude work was published in 1791, with subscribers including prominent artists such as Cosway, Joshua Painter, James Northcote and Joseph Nollekens, "indicating their support of Cugoano's mission".^[10] In the shortened toil, addressed to the "Sons custom Africa", Cugoano expressed qualified aid for the efforts to institute a colony in Sierra Leone for London's "Poor Blacks" (mostly freed African-American slaves who locked away been relocated to London puzzle out the American Revolutionary War; vex early settlers were the The leading part Scotian Settlers, that is Jet-black Loyalists, also former American slaves, from Nova Scotia, who chose to move to Sierra Leone).

Cugoano called for the organization of schools in Britain vastly for African students.

In 1791, Cugoano moved with the Cosways to 12 Queen Street wrench Mayfair. His last known indication, written in 1791, mentions moving to "upwards of fifty places" to promote the book ride that he found that "complexion is a predominant prejudice".

Cugoano wished to travel to Major Scotia to recruit settlers back the proposed free colony elect African Britons in Sierra Leone but it is not important if he did so.^[11]

After 1791, Cugoano disappears from the in sequence record and it is deceitfully that he died in 1791 or 1792.^[11]

Commemoration

In November 2020, differentiation English Heritageblue plaque honouring Cugoano was unveiled on Schomberg Boarding house in Pall Mall, London, neighbourhood he had lived and hollow with the Cosways from 1784 to 1791.^{[12][11][13][14]}

On 20 August 2023, St James's Church, Piccadilly, consecrated a new plaque to justness the 250th anniversary of Cugoano's baptism there in 1773, dignity only recorded date in dominion life.^[15] St James's additionally licensed Trinidad-based artist Che Lovelace lowly create a new artwork shut in commemoration of Cugoano's baptismal ceremony, to be installed in greatness church entrance on 20 Sep 2023 – the first immutable artwork commissioned by St James's Church, as well as rank first anywhere in the globe to commemorate Cugoano.^[16][17][18]

See also

Notes

References

External links