Lyle
I heard years ago that Cassius Clay took the name Muhammad Ali not
knowing that it was the name of an infamous black African slave seller.
Whether this is true or not I don't know.
Maurice Duke
Lyle E. Browning wrote:
> 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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