My reason for asking is quite simple. I have a project in downtown
Richmond upon which lived two slave traders of minor import. I am
gathering intel so that I can create an appropriate context for
archaeological work, possibly on their houses. Looking at two
individuals in isolation is hardly a competent piece of work for
comparative purposes. I prefer to work from the known universe into
the unknown. What I am finding interesting is what these people did
after they couldn't sell people anymore. Well, glad you asked, as a
salesman is a salesman is a salesman. Real estate auctioneer and
grocer are post-Civil War occupations the two on the block in
question. Even Robert Lumpkin appears to have gone from jailer to
boarding house patron afterward.
I am quite conversant with the "philosophical" arguments of the
African side of the horrible equation and of the Muslim side of the
issue as well. That is not my focus as I don't really have a set of
spare lifetimes to devote to it. Somewhere along the line, I did run
into the name of an African king involved in capturing and selling
other Africans, something that was apparently quite normal in their
society. The alternative was death so....
But that's another story.
Lyle Browning, RPA
On Jun 24, 2008, at 5:28 PM, macbd1 wrote:
> Lyle & Craig,
>
> Of likely greater importance to others, can someone provide the name
> of one African man who may share accountabilities for the enslaving
> of Africans and selling them at various African ports for profit, as
> described below. The name of just one who was responsible for the
> relatively few slaves who arrived in the British colony of Virginia
> would be particulary appealing for a fiery inscription on a large
> rock maybe placed on the south bank of the Potomac? The name of
> just one man who may be held accountable for some of the atrocities
> described below...? And when do atrocities amount to genocide...by
> Africans against Africans! Why focus on slave traders and only
> consider a secondary few in Virginia when others were primarily
> responsible for the endless supply to the world over centuries?
>
> More at this link:
> http://www.slaverysite.com/Body/maps.htm
>
> An excerpt for those who don't open the link:
>
> "A map of Africa today is shown; the sub-Sahara region, not
> including South Africa, is where the European slave traders were
> active. The Portuguese began dealing in black slaves from Africa in
> the 15th century. Initially, they purchased slaves from Islamic
> traders, who had established inland trading routes to the sub-Sahara
> region. Later, as the Portuguese explored the coast of Africa, they
> came upon the Senegal River, and found that they could purchase
> slaves directly from black Africans. The European slave trading
> activity moved south along the African coast over time, as far south
> as Angola. On the east coast of Africa and in the Indian Ocean
> region, slaves were also taken from Mozambique, Zanzibar and
> Madagascar. Many of the slaves were from the interior of Africa,
> having been taken captive as a result of tribal wars, or else having
> been kidnapped by black slave traders engaged in the business of
> trading slaves for European goods. These slaves would be marched to
> the coast to be sold, sometimes traveling hundreds of miles. Many
> perished along the way - the numbers can only be estimated. Lovejoy
> notes that losses on the ships were estimated at 9-15 per cent, and
> losses at Dutch-ruled Cape Coast castle were reported to be 6-7 per
> cent. Losses from the point of capture to the point of arrival at
> the slave trading forts were estimated to be 40% by Miller based on
> data from Angola. Using Thomas' figure of 11,128,000 live slaves
> delivered to the New World during the Atlantic slave trade, and
> considering Lovejoy's and Miller's estimates of losses, the number
> of captured slaves in the interior of Africa is estimated to be from
> 21.7 million to 23.5 million people. This figure does not include
> the many who may have been killed in the process of capture."
>
>
>
> Neil McDonald
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Craig Kilby" <[log in to unmask]
> >
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 1:33 PM
> Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Richmond and VA slave Traders
>
>
>>
>> Lyle,
>>
>> What a great question, and I am hoping the answer is yes. I am
>> currently working on a VFH grant to the Mary Ball Washington
>> Museum and Library to abstract the estate records of Lancaster
>> County from 1835-1865. We've finished the gathering phase and are
>> now in the computer input stage. Needless to say, mention is
>> sometimes made of a slave being sold in Richmond, but seldom by
>> whom.
>>
>> To our surprise, such cases were rare. Perhaps about 10 such
>> entries out of 1200 records. Even less frequent was the case of a
>> slave being sold out of the estate at an estate sale or during the
>> term of an account. Perhaps about 5 such entries for such an
>> event. It seemed to be the norm to keep the slaves within the
>> estate, and when divided between heirs to keep them in family
>> groups.
>>
>> Regardless, I too would be interested in such a list. It would be
>> a very valuable addition to this project.
>>
>> Thanks for thinking of the question,
>>
>> Craig Kilby
>> Lancaster, VA
>>
>> On Jun 24, 2008, at 1:42 PM, Lyle E. Browning wrote:
>>
>>> Before I do this the hard way, has anyone got a spreadsheet or
>>> other computerized list of slave traders for Richmond and for the
>>> rest of VA?
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance,
>>>
>>> Lyle Browning, RPA
>>>
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>>
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>>
>
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