In October 1791, the same month in which the Society of United Irishmen was established, Olaudah Equiano visited Belfast to promote his account of his life, The interesting narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavius Vassa, The African: written by himself. While in Belfast, Equiano attended a meeting of the Belfast Charitable Society – a society established in 1752, whose supporters included the prominent merchant Waddell Cunningham. Taking Equiano’s visit as a starting point, this talk will reflect on Ulster’s connections with the wider eighteenth-century Atlantic World and explore the fragmentary stories of some other Africans who are known to have come to Ulster at this time.
Our speaker:
Dr Jonathan Wright is a historian of the long eighteenth century and lecturer in British and Irish History at Maynooth University. His research focuses on politics and political culture, Ireland’s connections with empire and the Atlantic World, and Irish urban history, particularly eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Belfast.
Planning your visit:
- Free car parking onsite at Clifton House
- Please advise in advance (min 2 days prior to your visit) of any accessibility requirements. We have steps and stairs coming into the building and to the first floor, but we can make alternative arrangements with advanced notice. For more information on accessibility please visit – https://cliftonbelfast.com/visit/accessibility/
- Cancellations & Refund Policy – Cancellations must be made within 24 hours of scheduled tour start time.
