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Where in Africa did African Americans Originate? |
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Lists the demographics of identifiable regions providing slaves for export between 1711-1810. Taken from P.D. Curtin's, "Atlantic Slave Trade."
Some people complain that the term "African American" is a little vague because it refers to such a huge and diverse continent. The question is sometimes asked, "From where in Africa did African Americans come?" Many people in my parents generation (born 1920-40) thought that this question could not be answered. Then came "Roots." Here is some more information that might help African Americans develop a more personal connection with the regions and peoples of Africa.
This information comes from P.D. Curtin's book, "Atlantic Slave Trade" p. 221. Obviously, this is not the only version available, but Curtin is a heavyweight on the subject (along with W.E.B. DuBois, R.R. Kuczynski, E. Donnan, Davies, H.S. Klein, etc) and I like the way the data is presented:
PROJECTED EXPORTS OF THAT PORTION OF THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH SLAVE TRADE HAVING IDENTIFIABLE REGION OF COAST ORIGIN IN AFRICA, 1711-1810.
Senegambia (Senegal-Gambia)* 5.8%
Sierra Leone 3.4%
Windward Coast (Ivory Coast)* 12.1%
Gold Coast (Ghana)* 14.4%
Bight of Benin (Nigeria)* 14.5
Bight of Biafra (Nigeria)* 25.1%
Central and Southeast
Africa (Cameroon- N.Angola)* 24.7%
* The countries in parentheses are rough approximations to help you find the location on a modern map.
Now I will try to relate the above regions to selected ethnic groups. I've collected this data from a variety of sources, and I can't vouch for all of them. The central question for me is always, "Were these people called by that name during that time in that place?" I don't know how to show the nomadic and semi-nomadic groups, but I included several below anyway.
SENEGAMBIA: Wolof, Mandingo, Malinke, Bambara, Papel, Limba, Bola, Balante, Serer, Fula, Tucolor
SIERRA LEONE: Temne, Mende, Kisi, Goree, Kru.
WINDWARD COAST (incl. Liberia): Baoule, Vai, De, Gola (Gullah), Bassa, Grebo.
GOLD COAST: Ewe, Ga, Fante, Ashante, Twi, Brong
BIGHT OF BENIN & BIGHT OF BIAFRA Combined (sorry): Yoruba, Nupe, Benin,
Dahomean (Fon), Edo-Bini, Allada, Efik, Ibibio, Ijaw, Ibani,Igbo(Calabar)
CENTRAL & SOUTHEAST AFRICA: BaKongo, MaLimbo, Ndungo, BaMbo, BaLimbe, BaDongo, Luba, Loanga, Ovimbundu, Cabinda, Pembe, Imbangala, Mbundu,
BaNdulunda
Other possible groups that maybe should be included as a "Ancestral group" of African Americans, and in what region:
Fulani, Tuareg, Dialonke, Massina, Dogon, Songhay, Jekri, Jukun, Domaa, Tallensi, Mossi, Nzima, Akwamu, Egba, Fang, and Ge.
I've long associated some of the above names with political divisions, cultures, regions, languages, and/or dialects. If you have information that would remove, add, or move one of the above, please post it and we'll all be better informed.
I'll admit some of my biases and motives now. I hope this discussion will lead many African American to feel proud of the achievements of these groups, to feel angry towards governments and agencies that exploit them, and to feel sympathy towards their suffering. If that leads to political action and realignment of American resources and polices towards the region, then it could become important for some groups to get on this list. Nevertheless, I hope that accuracy will win the day.
Best regards,
Kwame Bandele
Helpful Resources
African Slave Trade and European Imperialism
Find a time-line with dates and descriptions of important historic events
occurring between the 15th and 19th centuries. Includes many links.
http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/hum211/timelines/htimeline3.htm
Studies of Slavery, Abolition, and Emancipation
Find an essay that examines slavery's transition from trade to true commerce
and an essay describing the diaspora's effects on black culture.
http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~slavery/
African Diaspora
Find out how African slaves held on to native rituals, language, and
religions despite their capture, manipulation, and forced exodus.
http://www.cc.colorado.edu/Dept/HY/HY243Ruiz/Research/diaspora.html
African Diaspora Research Project
Program studies how cultural and political actions of dispersed Africans
were "expressions of consciousness, identity, and survival.
http://www.msu.edu/unit/uap/africa.html
Atlantic Slave Trade - Demographic Simulation
Aims to provide historical population stats for Africa by combining slave
trade info with patterns of human birth, death, and migration.
http://www.whc.neu.edu/simulation/afrintro.html
Mauritania - Modern Day Slave Trade
Find out how men, women, and children are still bought and traded as slaves
despite the country's decree against it in 1980.
http://www.columbia.edu/~slc11/trade.html
On Slavery - Femi Akomolafe
Read one scholar's stern deconstruction of the myths surrounding the
African-American slave trade.
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/30/013.html
Race and Slavery in the Middle East
Essay by Bernard Lewis explores the origins and cultural acceptance of the
slave trade in the Middle East and Africa during the Ottoman empire.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/med/lewis1.html
African Empires Time-line
Cora Agatucci of Central Oregon Community College offers a descriptive
time-line for the period between the first century to the fifteenth.
http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/hum211/timelines/htimeline2.htm
Wonders of the African World - PBS
Notable African-American scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. offers a detailed
history of Africa's most prominent kingdoms and civilizations.
http://www.pbs.org/wonders/
Caleb Project - The Africa Profiles
Learn about the various peoples and regions in Africa devoted to the
Christian faith. Includes brief histories, demographics, and bibliographies.
http://www.calebproject.org/objpro.htm
Great Kings and Queens of Africa
Features brief profiles of Africa's 23 most influential or popular kings and
queens. Includes colorful drawings of each figure.
http://members.tripod.com/~Abyssinia/Africa/Africa.html
History of African States
Professor James Giblin of the Univ. of Iowa discusses, at length, the
beginnings of kingdoms and empire states throughout precolonial Africa.
http://www.uiowa.edu/%7Eafricart/toc/history/giblinstate.html
Islam in Africa
Professor A. Rahman Doi offers an essay tracing the spread of Islam through
Africa. Find details about kings and the meaning of the word, Africa.
http://salam.muslimsonline.com/~azahoor/islafrica.htm
Advent of Islam in West Africa - Baobab Project
Discover how Tuareg and Berber peoples from northern Africa helped spread
Islam throughout West Africa. Incudes a map of important trade routes.
http://web-dubois.fas.harvard.edu/dubois/baobab/narratives/islam/WestTrade.html
Africa During the Middle Ages
Message threads edited by Mark Harris supply recommended book lists and
comments regarding Ethiopia and Abyssinia during the Middle Ages.
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/rialto/Africa-msg.html
African Civilizations And The Spread Of Islam
Describes the spread of Islam through Africa after the death of the Prophet
Muhammed. Notes how Islam served to facilitate trade and literacy.
http://emayzine.com/lectures/africa%20and%20the%20spread%20of%20Islam.html
Christianity in Africa - Billy Graham Center Archives
Find a variety of resources devoted to the dissemination of the Christianity
in Africa. Includes reports dating back to the 19th century.
http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/africa.html
Jewish Roots in Africa
George E. Lichtblau offers a report detailing the existence of Jewish tribes
and people throughout ancient Africa.
http://www.ubalt.edu/kulanu/africa.html
Iron Age South of the Sahara - Civilizations in Africa
Details sub-Saharan Africa's early introduction to steel working and the
eventual spread of iron smelting. Notes the influence of Bantu peoples.
http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CIVAFRCA/IRONAGE.HTM
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