Unveiling Black History — The Legacy LensUnveiling Black History

Key Stage 2 · Upper KS2 (Years 5–6)

Olaudah Equiano: A Voice for Freedom

An 18th-century writer whose book helped change how Britain thought about slavery.

Suitable for pupils in Years 5–6 (ages 9–11).

KS2Upper KS2 (Years 5–6)
← Back to KS2 overview

Learning objectives

  • ✓Explain who Olaudah Equiano was and why he became famous in Britain.
  • ✓Describe how Equiano’s book helped the movement to end the slave trade.
  • ✓Understand why written testimony is a powerful kind of historical source.

Background information

Olaudah Equiano is believed to have been born around 1745. As a boy he was taken from his home in Africa and sold into slavery. He was forced to travel across the Atlantic Ocean in terrible conditions on a slave ship.

After many years, Equiano was able to buy his own freedom. He came to live in Britain, where he learned to read and write and became involved in the movement to end the slave trade.

In 1789 he published his life story. The book was read by thousands of people and helped many British readers understand for the first time how cruel the slave trade truly was. His voice helped push Parliament towards abolition.

Discussion questions

  1. Why do you think Equiano wanted to write down his story?
  2. How can telling your own story help to change people’s minds?
  3. What do you think makes a source ‘reliable’ in history?

Classroom activity ideas

  • ◆Book cover design: create a cover for Equiano’s autobiography that shows the key themes of his life.
  • ◆Persuasive speeches: in pairs, write a short speech asking members of Parliament to end the slave trade.
  • ◆Source detective: compare a short child-friendly quotation from Equiano with a factual textbook paragraph and discuss which is more powerful, and why.

Suggested writing task

Write a letter from a British reader in 1789 to a friend, explaining what they learned from Equiano’s book and why they now believe the slave trade must end.

Quiz questions

  1. In which century did Olaudah Equiano live?

    • A. 1500s
    • B. 1600s
    • C. 1700s(answer)
    • D. 1900s

  2. What was special about Equiano’s book?

    • A. It was a novel
    • B. It was an autobiography about his real life(answer)
    • C. It was a poem
    • D. It was a spelling book

  3. What change was Equiano campaigning for?

    • A. Free school meals
    • B. The end of the slave trade(answer)
    • C. The vote for women
    • D. A new king

  4. Roughly when was his book first published?

    • A. 1589
    • B. 1689
    • C. 1789(answer)
    • D. 1889

Answers are shown here for teachers. Print the pupil version from Activities and Downloads.