Born in 1745 in the West African interior, Olaudah Equiano,was the youngest son of a titled Igbo man, who might have gone on to bea successful farmer and a man of high rank. Instead, he was kidnapped asa boy and enslaved first by Africans and later by Europeans. Equian learnedto read and write, gained his freedom, travelled the high seas, and hisOlaudah Equiano, An Interesting Account was published to draw attentionto enslaved Africans. He eventually married an English woman and settledin that country. Equiano made several visits to Savannah during 1765, 1766,and 1767, first as a slave conducting business for his owner, and thenafter purchasing his freedom. He wrote at length about his visits in 1767:

“After our arrival we went up tothe town of Savannah; and the same evening I went to a friend’shouse to lodge, whose name was Mosa, a black man. We were very happy atmeeting each other; and, after supper, we had a light, until between nineand ten o’clock at night. About that time the watch or patrol came by,and, discerning a light in the house, they knocked at the door; we openedit, and they came in and sat down, and drank some punch with us; they alsobegged some limes of me, as they understood I had some, which I readilygave them. A little after this, they told me I must go to the watch-housewith them; this surprised me a good deal after our kindness to them, andI asked them, ‘Why so?’ They said, that all negroes, who had a light intheir houses after nine o’clock were to be taken into custody, and eitherpay some dollars or be flogged.
“. . . Early the next morning theseimposing ruffians flogged a negro-man and woman that they had in the watch-house,and then they told me that I must be flogged too. I asked why; and if therewas no law for free men; and told them if there was, I would have it putin force against them. But this only exasperated them the more, and theyinstantly swore they would serve me as Dr. Perkins had done; and were goingto lay violent hands on me; when one of them, more humane than the rest,said, that as I was a free man they could not justify stripping me by law.I then immediately sent for Dr. Brady, who was known to be an honest andworthy man; and, on his coming to my assistance, they let me go.”

“Before I left Georgia, a blackwoman, who had a child lying dead, being very tenacious of the church burial-service,and not able to get any white person to perform it, applied to me for thatpurpose. I told her I was no parson; and besides, that the service overthe dead did not affect the soul. This however did not satisfy her; shestill urged me very hard. I therefore complied with her entreaties, andat last consented to act the parson for the first time in my life. As shewas much respected, there was a great company both of white and black peopleat the grave. I then, accordingly, assumed my new vocation, and performedthe funeral ceremony to the satisfaction of all present; after which Ibade adieu to Georgia, and sailed for Martinico.”
 

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