Ottobah Cugoano Blue Plaque

About This Blue Plaque

Ottobah Cugoano was a remarkable 18th century figure – an author, abolitionist and freed slave who campaigned passionately against the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade. Born around 1757 in present-day Ghana, Cugoano was kidnapped as a child and shipped to Grenada, where he was enslaved on a plantation. In 1772, he was brought to England by his owner and eventually gained his freedom.

As a free man, Cugoano became an outspoken critic of slavery. In 1787 he published his influential book “Thoughts and Sentiments on the Evil and Wicked Traffic of the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species,” making him the first African to demand the total abolition of the slave trade in Britain. His powerful first-hand accounts and moral arguments bolstered the abolitionist cause.

From 1784-1791, Cugoano lived and worked at Schomburg House on Pall Mall in London’s Westminster borough, an affluent area close to the seat of royal and political power. It was during this time that he wrote his seminal anti-slavery book. His literary protests were groundbreaking, paving the way for later Black authors. Cugoano also collaborated with leading British abolitionists like Granville Sharp and presumably frequented the area’s gentlemen’s clubs and power circles to promote the abolitionist message.

Although the details of Cugoano’s later life are scarce, his impact was significant and long-lasting. As an educated and eloquent African who had experienced the brutality of slavery firsthand, Cugoano provided vital ammunition for the abolitionist movement. His landmark book and tireless campaigning helped sway public opinion against slavery and sowed seeds for its eventual demise in the British Empire. This blue plaque outside his former Pall Mall residence ensures that Ottobah Cugoano’s immense contribution to the fight for freedom will not be forgotten.