Olaudah Equiano

A forthcoming book will cast doubt on the validity of Equiano's claim to have been born in Africa and experienced the Middle Passage - the notorious journey of enslaved Africans by ship to the Americas. Equiano's autobiography is one of the first, written in English, by an African (or person of African descent?). It was published in 1789. Now Vincent Carretta, who edited the Penguin edition of The Interesting Narrative, has uncovered a baptismal record record for Equiano which lists his place of birth as South Carolina. A discussion of Carretta's findings can be found here. The baptismal record itself can be examined here.