Slavery is the most inhumane practice an individual can indulge in. People mostly relate slavery with Africa especially the Atlantic Slave Trade. The transatlantic slave trade involved the slave traders’ movement of enslaved different African people to the Americas. Most of the transported slaves were people from the Central and Western regions of the African continent whom other West Africans had sold.
The Kingdom of Congo gives us a deep insight into how chaotic the Atlantic slave trade was. During the slave trade, we find the story of a king’s encounter with the Europeans. His name is king Mvemba Nzinga. He tolerated the Portuguese to the point of even converting into a new religion.
The king was obsessed with his new faith to the point that he did not realize that the foreigners were taking advantage of him. The Portuguese did not only enslave the enemies to the Kingdom but also king Mvemba’s people. When he saw this, he started sending letters to the Portugal ruler to stop the slave trade but his plea fell on deaf ears.
In this article, we will discuss the enslavement of African royalty that occurred not only in the Kongo Empire but in the West and Central regions of Africa. We will know the stories of people who moved from riches to rags rather than rags to riches as some people like Malik Ambar.
Brief History of the Atlantic Slave Trade (Transatlantic Slave Trade)
The Atlantic slave trade occurred across the Atlantic Ocean from the 15th century to the 19th century. According to Patrick Manning, the transatlantic slave was significant in changing Africans from a smaller of the world population of slaves in 1600 into the majority by 1800. By 1850 the population of African slaves within the African region surpassed that in the New World (Americas).
The slave trade changed from a minority aspect of the economies into the biggest portion in a short period. Besides, agricultural plantations intensified significantly and became a major or main aspect in different societies. Economic urban centers that operated as the origin of the principal trade ways changed towards the West Coast.
Coincidentally, several African communities moved away from the slave trade ways often shielding themselves from the transatlantic slave trade but preventing major developments. In several African societies, customary lineage slavery became more like chattel slavery because of an intensified work demand. This caused a reduction in life quality, the state of working, and the slaves’ status in societies of the western region of Africa.
People replaced assimilative slavery with chattel slavery. Assimilative slavery in the African continent allowed eventual liberation and also significant social and cultural influence. The slave owners would treat the slaves as part of their family rather than good.
The dispersal of gender among slaves under customary lineage slavery saw the female gender particularly the women as more attractive slaves because of demands for labor and reproduction. The male slaves were desirable and useful when it came to the provision of physical agricultural labor. Chattel slavery in the American region was highly demanding due to the nature of plantation jobs and this was the commonplace or destination for male slaves in the Americas.
People have argued that a reduction in able-bodied people due to the transatlantic slave trade restricted several societies’ ability to grow and develop. Scholars say that the Atlantic slave trade left the African continent underdeveloped, demographically unstable, and susceptible to foreign colonization.
The Portuguese were the 1st foreigners or Europeans to reach the Guinean coast. The 1st European to purchase African slaves in Guinea was Antao Goncalves, a foreign explorer in 1441 AD. In the 16th century, the European settlers discovered that the volcanic islands of Sao Tome were perfect for growing sugar. To grow and cultivate the sugar, the Europeans (Portuguese) turned to the big population of African slaves.
The Elmina Castle on the Gold Coast became a vital yard for slaves that slave traders were to transport to the Americas. The African labor built the Elmina Castle on the Gold Coast for the Europeans in 1482 to operate the trade of gold.
The Spanish were the 1st foreigners to use African slaves in America on islands such as Hispaniola and Cuba. The 1st African slaves arrived in the region of Hispaniola in 1501 after the Papal Bull of 1493 gave almost the entire of the Americas or the New World to Spain.
The transatlantic slave trade climaxed in the late 18th century when slave traders purchased or captured the largest population from West Africa and took it to the New World. The upsurge of demand for slaves due to the increase of foreign colonial powers to the Americas made the slave trade more attractive to the powers of West Africa resulting in the formation of West African Kingdoms flourishing on the slave trade.
Prince Abdulrahman Ibrahim Ibn Sori
Ibrahim Sori was a Muslim Emir who was born in 1762 in Timbo city. His father was called Almami Ibrahim. Abdul-Rahman was good at the Islamic sciences and could speak more than 3 African languages. In 1781, Rahman joined the militaries of his father. In 1788, his father made him the leader of an army whose task was to defend the coast.
During one of his military campaigns, some Africans captured and enslaved Rahman. They sold him to the British who brought him to Mississippi where he worked on the cotton plantation of Thomas Foster for about 40 years before attaining his liberation. In 1794, he married Isabella who was among the slaves of Foster and had a big family.
In 1826, Abdul-Rahman wrote a message to his people in the African region. Andrew Marschalk, a Dutch, sent the message to Thomas Reed, a US Senator, and Thomas forwarded it to the United States Consulate. After the Sultan of Morocco read the message, he requested the head of state to release Abdul-Rahman. In 1829, Thomas agreed to let go of Rahman.
Princess Anta Madjiguene Ndiaye
Anta was a West African born in 1793 and a princess of the Wolof people. Slave traders enslaved and sold her to Cuba. She became the wife of Zephaniah Kingsley, a plantation owner, and slave trader. Her slave master freed her in 1811 when she was 18 years and gave her tasks for his plantations in Florida. Princess Anta Ndiaye owned more than 10 slaves later.
She lost her life in 1870 at the age of 77. The National Park Service protects Kingsley Plantation as a part of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.
William Ansah Sessarakoo
William Ansah was born in 1736 in Annamaboe. John Corrente, his father, was the leader of the government of Annamaboe and a chief. As a chief caboceer he was one of the native officials accountable for providing slaves of African origin to foreign merchants. William’s father sent him to England to have an education.
The ship captain that Corrente had trusted with the transport of William Ansah, sold Ansah into slavery in Barbados before arriving in the land of England. After several years, a Fante merchant found Ansah in Barbados and alerted Ansah’s father.
Ansah’s father requested the British to release his son and the RAC (Royal African Company) freed Ansah and moved him to England.
Ganga Zumba (Great Lord)
Ganga Zumba was the 1st head of the big slave settlement of Quilombo dos Palmares. Ganga was a slave who ran away from bondage on a sugar plantation and rose to the rank of highest authority within the Palmares Empire. History refers to Ganga Zumba as the African who established an African Empire in the land of Brazil.
Ganga Zumba was the son of princess Aqualtune, the daughter of an unknown ruler of Kongo. She led a group of powerful soldiers at the Battle of Mbwila. The Portuguese emerged as victors in the battle, killing more than 4500 men and capturing the king. The Europeans also captured the king’s sons, nephews, more than 3 governors, court officials, and over 355 nobles. The Portuguese put all of them on ships and sold them as slaves in the New World. According to history, Ganga Zumba was likely among those captives.
Ganga Zumba, Zona, his brother, and Sabina, his sister, became slaves at the plantation of Santa Rita in the Portuguese Captaincy of Pernambuco.
Takyi
Takyi was a ruler from the Gold Coast. He led a slave rebellion in Jamaica way back in 1760 called the Tacky’s War to beat the British. Later, the foreigners killed Takyi and cut his head, and showed it in the center of the town to signify that the rebellion was over.
A List of Enslaved People
Apart from the African royals that this article has mentioned, several people were victims of the slave trade. They include Abraham, Petrovich Gannibal, Absalom Jones, Claudia Acte, Aelsige, Aelus Perseus, Aelstan, Aesop, Afak, Afanasy Grigoriev, Afrosinya, and Agathoclia.
Others were Baibars, Florence Baker, Balthild, Bass Reeves, Sarah Basset, Betty Hemings, Bilchilde, Bilal ibn Ribah, and Billy.
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