Saint Lucia is an island nation in the eastern Caribbean with 2 distinctive mountains, the Pitons, on its west coast. It's known for its beaches and reef-diving sites, as well as its rainforested interior with waterfalls such as at Toraille. It's home to quiet volcanic beaches and fishing villages as well as luxurious resorts, and the capital, Castries, is a regular cruise ship stop. It has a population of about 182,000.



SUMMARY

Number of slaves 16,282
Creole (i.e. born in the Americas) 12,750 (78% of total)
African 3,488 (21% of total)
African specified ethnically/regionally 2,638 (16% of total)

BREAKDOWN OF AFRICAN BORN SLAVES

Ibo (Nigeria) 894 – 34% of African specified
Congo (Congo) 574 – 22% of African specified
Moco (Nigeria/Cameroon) 291 – 11% of African specified

The top 3 of most frequently mentioned African origins in the Saint Lucia slave census of 1815 is exactly the same as it is for the Trinidad slave census. This is perhaps not so surprising as in both cases it seems to reflect the shift in the British slave trade in the final decades before abolition (1790’s-1807) towards heavy imports from the Bight of Biafra as well as Central Africa (see columns 11/12 in this chart). Again similar to Trinidad the census also describes a locally born “Creole” slave population whose African origins might more closely reflect French slave trade patterns, especially to Martinique. Saint Lucia only being definitely incorporated into the British Empire in 1803 when its slave owning settler class was still predominantly of French origin (source).

In fact the relative share of these “French Period Creoles” is much more significant for Saint Lucia than for Trinidad, being almost 80% of the total slave population! Slaves making up almost 85% of Saint Lucia’s total population in 1810 while almost 10% were free people of colour and about 6% European. The Afro-descended freedmen most likely also having African origins dating from the French rule period (Higman 1984). Before i discuss this in more detail let’s first have a look at the complete census which naturally only provides a snapshot of African origins for a restricted timeperiod and for a minor part of Saint Lucia’s slave population at that time (16%).

[img]http://tracingafricanroots.files./2015/02/birthplaces-of-slaves-st-luciab.jpg[/img]


- Senegambia, the Mandingo yet again most frequently mentioned while specific Senegalese ethnicities are only few in number. “Senegal” and “Bambara” referring to slaves exported via the river Senegal or the French slave port of Saint Louis. There seems to be a misidentification on part of the author (Higman 1984) for the “Mondongue” who are usually described as being a separate ethnic group from Central Africa in slave registers for Haiti (source). The socalled “Cap Verd” might be referring to either slaves exported via the Cape Verde islands or (perhaps more likely) the Cap Vert peninsula in Senegal (Gorée being nearby). However the “Calvére” and all of its variations seem to be again misplaced/wrongly identified by Higman.

- Sierra Leone, very few identified as such but some of the “Senegambian” Mandingo might actually have been exported via the rivers Nunez & Pongo in Guinea Conakry. Otherwise same pattern as in the other censuses with Susu & Temne being predominant and the Mende not yet present. Also the minor number of Kissi being consistent with the censuses of Trinidad and Berbice.

- Windward Coast, quite noticeable numbers for Cape Lahou (in modernday Ivory Coast), although relative to the total slave population (incl. Creoles) it’s not very significant (231 out of 16,282 is less than 2%). It’s tempting to assume they were all brought over by Voyage 82876, Narcissus (1806) in the Slave Voyages Database.

- Gold Coast, not many in this category and again without any specific ethnic descriptions

- Bight of Benin, even fewer mentioned than for Gold Coast however this area is very likely to be much more important when it comes to the African origins of the Creole slave population.

- Bight of Biafra, clearly the most frequently mentioned area, in line with British slave trade patterns of this period (1790’s-1807). Similar to the Trinidad census a split between “Ibo”, “Moco” and to some lesser degree also “Ibibio”. Intriguingly besides a single mention for “Duala” from Cameroon (also seen on the Berbice census) there’s also 1 individual being described as “Bornoux”, possibly a reference to the Bornu Empire in northeastern Nigeria/Tchad. An isolated testimony of the interior reach of the slave trade at this time. Not likely to be very significant but still present, see also this map of the Biafra origins for Sierre Leone recaptives.

- Central Africa, second only to the Bight of Biafra, again conforming with general slave trade preferences in this period. Aside from the seemingly omnipresent “Congo” also some interesting other designations, Mayombe being a coastal area north of the Congo river. The “Angola’s” might actually refer to people traded from the Congolese coastal area or only northern Angola/Cabinda. This term being used less precisely by the French/English than the Portuguese.

- Unidentified, mostly obscure names which have not yet been identified but interestingly also 4 persons from North Africa, “Afrique du Nord”. In the Trinidad census there were also 6 slaves mentioned as being “Maure” or North African Moors, most likely from Mauritania. Very high chances of all of them being male, implying that their bloodlines would have gotten dilluted very quickly if they had any offspring that is.

https://tracingafricanroots./2015/02/02/st-lucia-slave-census-of-1815-reflecting-english-or-french-slave-trade-patterns/

Igbo planet thread, beautiful folks. Thanks @op

I respect BLACK AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORIANS like Dr Holloway.

Bight of Biafra ethnic groups, note: some slaves sold in Biafra were drawn from far as far as Lake Chad.

.

Bigfranscis21,r u a student of history?
R u also a teacher?

If not, then I can say ur post says a lot about ur personality and I admire it.
Kudos.

moca:
Bigfranscis21,r u a student of history?
R u also a teacher?

If not, then I can say ur post says a lot about ur personality and I admire it.
Kudos.

His feelings about aas
Its admirable..
He should b a teacher
Black studies
And b a teacher.
Innovative
An exemplary african.
You wear it well.
The afro skin.

dieantwordRSA:
Bight of Biafra ethnic groups, note: some slaves sold in Biafra were drawn from far as far as Lake Chad.

What exactly are you going on about? The slave masters clearly knew who was Igbo and who wasn't. That clears the doubt of those who argue that several non Igbo groups were counted as Igbos by the slave masters, your article and map only helped to prove such notions wrong.

pazienza:


What exactly are you going on about? The slave masters clearly knew who was Igbo and who wasn't. That clears the doubt of those who argue that several non Igbo groups were counted as Igbos by the slave masters, your article and map only helped to prove such notions wrong.

pazienza, please don't engage that thing in an argument. That thing has heavy mental issues. I have known it and its countless monikers since 2013. Believe me, you don't want to waste your energy on it.

moca:
Bigfranscis21,r u a student of history?
R u also a teacher?

If not, then I can say ur post says a lot about ur personality and I admire it.
Kudos.

It is correct to say that I am a student of history. Teacher? Kinda. I was a mathematics teacher during my NYSC in 2013, if that qualifies.

fightforchange1:


His feelings about aas
Its admirable..
He should b a teacher
Black studies
And b a teacher.
Innovative
An exemplary african.
You wear it well.
The afro skin.

Daalu, nwanyi oma.

bigfrancis21:


pazienza, please don't engage that thing in an argument. That thing called heavy mental issues. I have known it and its countless monikers since 2013. Believe me, you don't want to waste your energy on it.

Thanks.

bigfrancis21:


pazienza, please don't engage that thing in an argument. That thing called heavy mental issues. I have known it and its countless monikers since 2013. Believe me, you don't want to waste your energy on it.

lmao look how you calling someone "it"

bigfrancis21:


Daalu, nwanyi oma.

Huh
Translate.

fightforchange1:


Huh
Translate.

The first step to reclaiming your african origins is by expressing the eargeness to learn its language. That is a very easy phrase in Igbo. Now, use google translate.

bigfrancis21:


The first step to reclaiming your african origins is by expressing the eargeness to learn its language. That is a very easy phrase in Igbo. Now, use google translate.

Ok thanks dude.

Lol @ bon caca