New Book.
Synopsis
Cruelly and abruptly torn away from the life they once knew and then brought to Georgian era Britain, staying alive and free was going to be an enormous challenge for Keba, Omar and Dinah. These three disenfranchised Africans would now be shunned by society and have no recognised legal status. That was the harsh reality for peoples of African descent living in Georgian Britain: The Afro-Georgians.
Believing himself to be a direct descendent of the rulers of the ancient Mali empire, the biggest ever seen in Africa, Keba was desperate to restore former glories. To achieve his aims, he had no qualms when it came to raiding villages and harvesting fellow Africans to satisfy the increasing demand for slave labour. Omar, a highly learned man was arguably the second most important person in the large Gambian river kingdom of Barsally. No critical decision was ever made by the king until he had consulted his trusted advisor. Although born into slavery and never knowing the joy and protection of family life, many thought that Dinah was still lucky. She had been spared from the back-breaking, life-shortening plantation work, but her torment was an ongoing psychological one occasionally interspersed with sexual and physical assaults. The paths of the three Afro-Georgians should never have crossed but through a series of connected and unconnected events, they found themselves in the same place facing the same bleak future. However, their past lives and experiences meant that just surviving their current circumstances would not be enough.
Having been presented with an opportunity to help bring an end to one of the greatest blights in human history, the three had no choice but to accept the challenge. Share their journey as they navigate the challenges and battle to overcome the many prejudices present in Georgian Britain. Determined not to be passive bystanders or helpless victims awaiting salvation, they joined the fight for abolition and the emancipation of peoples of African descent the world over. From their lowly position, they needed to gain access to the powerbrokers of Georgian society. Then, they could make their voices heard and alert a blasé and complicit society to the horrors of their lived experiences and those that continue to suffer. Despite the enormity of this task, for each of the three, there also existed the strong desire to forge a new life (one that is worth living) for themselves in Britain or back in the land of their ancestors.
This book pays homage to those Afro-Georgians who managed to shake off the shackles placed on them by an unjust society and then went on to make notable contributions to the fields of music, seafaring, the military and the law. It also brings to the fore the role Afro-Georgians played in the battle for the abolition of slavery. It gives recognition to those whose efforts have, in the past, been sidelined or misrepresented.
The period between 1714 and 1837 heralded exciting times that were full of opportunity for the people of the British Isles and is termed the Georgian era after the ruling Hanoverian kings. The agricultural revolution was in full swing with British productivity amongst the highest in the world. Britain was also at the forefront of the industrial revolution making it an economic powerhouse. Defeat of the French in the second 100 years war made Britain the preeminent military force in the world. The British people were beginning to enjoy greater freedom than ever before. Abroad, the American declaration of independence and the French revolution were examples of people the world over demanding greater freedom. Unfortunately, the Afro-Georgians were denied the benefits brought about by this era of dynamic change.
The Afro-Georgian community of Britain numbered 20 thousand at its peak. A result of Africans bought by wealthy Britons for domestic servitude, black Americans who fought for the British during the American war of independence and the enslaved fleeing the harsh conditions of plantation life in the Americas. Legal rulings by the Lord Chief Justice Lord Mansfield and lobbying by the abolitionist Granville Sharpe established the principle that no person in England could be enslaved. Yet, the lives of the Afro-Georgians remained perilous and their exclusion from mainstream society continued. There was also the constant threat of gaol and the illegal forced repatriation back into slavery in the Americas. Despite the Lord Mansfield ruling, sadly, it would be many decades before the freedom enjoyed by the Europeans and European Americans would reach black peoples. However, thanks to the efforts of the Afro-Georgians emancipation came sooner rather than later.