Ottabah Cugoano 1757 –
Ottobah Cugoano was born in Africa in about 1757. As a child he was kidnapped and sold as a slave to plantation owners in Grenada. He remained in the West Indies until purchased by an English merchant. He was taken to England in 1772 where he was set free. Later he entered the service of the royal artist, Richard Cosway.
Cugoano, who adopted the name of John Steuart, as one of the leaders of London’s black community. In 1786 he played an important role in the case of Henry Demane, a black man who had been kidnapped and was about to be shipped to the West Indies as a slave. He contacted Granville Sharp, who managed to get Demane rescued before the ship left port.
Cugoano was taught to read and write. In 1787, with the help of his friend, Olaudah Equiano, he published an account of his experiences, Narrative of the Enslavement of a Native of America. Copies of his book was sent to George III and leading politicians. He failed to persuade the king to change his opinions and like other members of the royal family remained against abolition of the slave trade.
In his book Cugoano was the first African to demand publicly the total abolition of the slave trade and the freeing of all slaves. In 1793 Cugoano upset William Wilberforce by describing him as a hypocrite when he refused to support the campaign to end slavery.
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