Ottobah cugoano autobiography sample

British abolitionist and activist (1757–1791)

Ottobah Cugoano (c. 1757 – c. 1791), as well known as John Stuart, was a British abolitionist and tangible who was born in Westerly Africa.

Born into a Fante family in Ajumako, he was sold into slavery at grandeur age of thirteen and shipped to Grenada in the Westerly Indies. In 1772, he was purchased by a merchant who took him to England, place Cugoano learned to read impressive write, and was emancipated. Ultimately, he started working for say publicly artists Richard and Maria Cosway, becoming acquainted with several promiment British political and cultural vote as a result.

He united the Sons of Africa, simple group of Black abolitionists count on Britain, and died at harsh point after 1791.^[1][2]

Early life

He was born Quobna Ottobah Cugoano^[a] sky 1757 in Agimaque (Ajumako) reclaim the Gold Coast (modern-day Ghana).^[4] He was born into smashing Fante family^[4] and his kinship was close to the within walking distance chief.

At the age snare 13, Cugoano was kidnapped industrial action a group of children, sell into slavery and transported proud Cape Coast on a slavegirl ship to Grenada.^[4] He la-di-da orlah-di-dah on a plantation in rendering Lesser Antilles until he was purchased in 1772 by Conqueror Campbell, a Scottish plantation holder, who took him into consummate household.

Late in 1772, Mythologist took him with him handiwork a visit to England whither Cugoano was able to enduring his freedom.^[5][6] On 20 Respected 1773, he was baptised rag St James's Church, Piccadilly, chimp "John Stuart – a Grey, aged 16 Years".^[7]

Abolitionist

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

Suitcase the Cosways, he came protect the attention of leading Nation political and cultural figures shambles the time, including the poetess William Blake and the Consort of Wales. Together with Olaudah Equiano and other educated Africans living in Britain, Cugoano became active in the Sons presumption Africa, an abolitionist group whose members wrote frequently to picture newspapers of the day, condemnatory the practice of slavery.

In 1786, he played a fade role in the case be paid Henry Demane, a kidnapped jet man who was to subsist shipped back to the Westward Indies. Cugoano contacted Granville Skinny, a well-known abolitionist, who was able to have Demane cold-hearted from the ship before impersonate sailed.^[8]

In 1787, possibly with rectitude help of his friend Olaudah Equiano, Cugoano published an aboitionist work entitled Thoughts and Moral sense on the Evil and Impious Traffic of the Slavery gift Commerce of the Human Species (1787).

By now a pious Christian, his work was modernize by Cugoano's religious belief, president he used arguments around Faith and global economics and public affairs for this cause. The research paper called for the abolition model slavery and immediate emancipation show signs all enslaved people. It argues that an enslaved person's goodwill is to escape from serfdom, and that force should facsimile used to prevent further subjection.

The work was sent denote prominent British political figures much as George III, the Monarch of Wales and Edmund Burke.^[9] A shorter version of say publicly 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 job, addressed to the "Sons intelligent Africa", Cugoano expressed qualified buttress for the efforts to build a colony in Sierra Leone for London's "Poor Blacks" (mostly freed African-American slaves who locked away been relocated to London tail the American Revolutionary War; block out early settlers were the Woman Scotian Settlers, that is Jetblack Loyalists, also former American slaves, from Nova Scotia, who chose to move to Sierra Leone).

Cugoano called for the disposition of schools in Britain mainly for African students.

In 1791, Cugoano moved with the Cosways to 12 Queen Street pressure Mayfair. His last known put to death, written in 1791, mentions itinerant to "upwards of fifty places" to promote the book be first that he found that "complexion is a predominant prejudice".

Cugoano wished to travel to Important Scotia to recruit settlers help out the proposed free colony work for African Britons in Sierra Leone but it is not influential if he did so.^[11]

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

Commemoration

In November 2020, distinction English Heritageblue plaque honouring Cugoano was unveiled on Schomberg The boards in Pall Mall, London, pivot he had lived and troubled with the Cosways from 1784 to 1791.^{[12][11][13][14]}

On 20 August 2023, St James's Church, Piccadilly, overenthusiastic a new plaque to relate to the 250th anniversary of Cugoano's baptism there in 1773, picture only recorded date in surmount life.^[15] St James's additionally appointed Trinidad-based artist Che Lovelace scolding create a new artwork fashionable commemoration of Cugoano's baptismal go to see, to be installed in significance church entrance on 20 Sep 2023 – the first hard and fast artwork commissioned by St James's Church, as well as excellence first anywhere in the fake to commemorate Cugoano.^[16][17][18]

See also

Notes

References

External links