Where and when was Equiano born and why does this matter for our understanding of his accounts of slavery? Why did Equiano (potentially) alter his story about his life? How would he have known about the traditions of West African communities if he was not born there? Does it matter if these are his memories or compilations of the memories of fellow enslaved people? What is at stake in the debate between Caretta and Lovejoy? How does this debate reveal changing ideas about the history of slavery and emancipation and our understanding of the sources we rely on for information about enslaved people?
Where and when was Equiano born and why does this matter for our understanding of his accounts of slavery? Why did Equiano (potentially) alter his story about his life? How would he have known about the traditions of West African communities if he was not born there? Does it matter if these are his memories […]