Diasporan Memories of the Africa Past: Quobna Ottobah Cugoano, Olaudah Equiano, and Ignatius Sancho as Sources of African History

The writings of Anthony Benezet had a profound influence on Ignatius Sancho, Quobna Ottobah Cugoano and Olaudah Equiano. These African-born men in turn influenced the thinking of others, both black and white, in Britain, France, and the American mainland. They went through many stages in their search for identity. They were first Africans, then enslaved Africans. They had to prove themselves to be god fearing and worthy human beings as they became British. As they “rediscovered” their African identities, they became Afro-Brits. Thus   Sancho, became An African, Cugoano, A Native of Africa, and Equiano became The African. Equiano wrote that “the worthy and judicious author of Historical Account of Guinea, [Anthony Benezet] and others, have given some striking estimations of the exceeding evil occasioned by that wicked diabolical traffic of the African slave trade; wherein it seems, of late years, the English have taken the lead, or the greatest part of it, in carrying it on.” Cugoano wrote “such a mode of obtaining slaves in Africa is common; and I believe more are procured this way, and by kidnapping, than any other.”  At the bottom of the page he wrote “See Benezet’s ‘Account of Guinea,’ throughout.”  Sancho wrote in a letter about “the Christian, the learned author of that most valuable book,” Some Historical Account of Guinea. In this paper I will analyze the works of these men and show how Benezet challenged the way many whites viewed Africa by offering empirical evidence of Africans before the arrival of the Europeans.