Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Georgia Workhouse

The August 31, 1768 issue of the Savannah newspaper announced three runaway slaves "Brought to the Work-House," describing one as, "A TALL STOUT ABLE NEGRO FELLOW, about five feet nine inches high, about 30 years of age, has his country marks thus lll on each side of his face, is of the Coromantee country...says his name is Michael, but cannot tell his master's name, was brought from the Creek nation, where it's said he had been about two years. August 7th 1768"   

In June, the Indians themselves returned runaway slave Sampson, who said "that he went to the Indian nation about seven years ago, but cannot tell his master's name."  Sampson had "country marks," traditional African markings, down both sides of his face and a scar on his left shoulder.  
The third prisoner was a recently arrived African, who also "cannot tell him master's name" and apparently did not give his own.  That prisoner "has holes in his ears and beads of different sorts round his neck...."
   
     

Senegal, Gambia & Florida

From my opinion piece published by Folio Weekly (Jacksonville, Florida):

"The influence of the South Carolina slave market means many African Americans in Florida and Georgia probably have Senegambian heritage. A 1784 advertisement for 'Prime Healthy Gambia Negroes' in the South Carolina Gazette described Gambians as 'universally reckoned the best that can be imported, they being...well acquainted with the cultivation of rice, indigo and tobacco.' Rice was a major crop for coastal South Carolina and Georgia."

To read the rest of "Roots Rock: Recently discovered slave graves resurrect discussion on the origins of African Americans," Folio Weekly, 3 Jan. 2012, please visit http://bit.ly/yDDBzK.