A Narrative of the Most Remarkable Particulars in the Life of James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw, An African Prince

A NARRATIVE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE PARTICULARS IN THE LIFE OF UKAWSAW GRONNIOSAW is the earliest published autobiography of an African and former slave published in Britain. Born in modern-day Nigeria, Ukawsaw Gronniosaw (c. 1705-1775) was reportedly a grandson of the king of Zaara, but sold into slavery at age 15. After a time in Barbados, he was sold to a Calvinist minister in New York, where he learned to read. He became free after serving as a British soldier, settled in England, married, and struggled from discrimination before dying in the 1770s.