Or Porto

Deckerson Thomas

Description

Or Porto is a brilliantly presented narrative of the violence that characterised the brutal capture and enslavement of Africans for centuries. The author has cleverly elucidated the strategic change from the trans-Atlantic slave dealings to the widespread colonisation of the entire continent. Or Porto is a compelling read and a source of valuable information that will inspire and edify those interested in the intrigues of colonisation and the continued domination of Africans.

Sujets

• Histoire
• África
• History of Africa
• Africa

Informations

• Publié par: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Date de parution: 30 avril 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781528957397
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Or Porto
Deckerson Thomas
Austin Macauley Publishers
2019-04-30
Or Porto About the Author About the Book Dedication Copyright Information Preface Introduction Chapter 1 The Portuguese Slavers Chapter 2 British Slave Raids Chapter 3 Expansion into the Hinterland Chapter 4 Bunce Island – The Factory Chapter 5 The Human Trade Chapter 6 The Experiment Chapter 7 Colonisation Chapter 8 The Colony Chapter 9 The Partition of Africa Chapter 10 Taxation Chapter 11 Colonial Surrogates Chapter 12 The Emergence of Multi- Party Politics Chapter 13 A New Republic Chapter 14 Merchants of War Chapter 15 Tricks of the Trade Chapter 16 Memories Bia Bureh Olayinka Herbert Macaulay Patrice Lumumba Marcus Garvey Kwame Nkrumah Jomo Kenyatta Julius Nyerere Thomas Sankara Samora Machel Walter Sisulu Govan Nbeki Stephen Biko Oliver Reginald Tambo Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
About the Author
Deckerson Thomas is a chartered public finance accountant and a fourth-generation descendant of slavery, born in the West African state of Sierra Leone.
Deckerson’s direct lineage to slavery and his quest to establish its profound and lasting emotional and psychological effects motivated him to research and produce this pioneering and epic historical and contemporary account. The arduous journey of Africans from slavery through colonialism and present-day imperialism has never been portrayed so succinctly. He has painstakingly laid out this narrative and brilliantly highlighted the continuum from the dark days of servitude to the present from an African perspective.
About the Book
Or Porto is a brilliantly presented narrative of the violence that characterised the brutal capture and enslavement of Africans for centuries. The author has cleverly elucidated the strategic change from the trans-Atlantic slave dealings to the widespread colonisation of the entire continent.
Or Porto is a compelling read and a source of valuable information that will inspire and edify those interested in the intrigues of colonisation and the continued domination of Africans.
Dedication
To the memory of my dear mother,
Florence Elfrida Thomas
Copyright Information
Copyright © Deckerson Thomas (2019)
The right of Deckerson Thomas to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781528903110 (Paperback)
ISBN 9781528903127 (Hardback)
ISBN 9781528903134 (Kindle e-book)
ISBN 9781528957397 (ePub e-book)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2019)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LQ
Preface
The effect of servitude on Africans is generally trivialised in modern times especially by those who, by sheer fate or fortune, accrued enormous economic and financial gains from activities relating to and involving the trade in and exploitation of Africans.
The continued reinforcement of the pejoratively-discriminative colour coding of Africans, within social and intellectual context, contributes to the general ignorance and apathy towards the latent trauma that slavery and the prolonged subjugation of colonisation have had on Africans.
I was born into a family descended from slavery, in Freetown Sierra Leone, the legendary hotspot for the capture of humans and the staging post for what resulted in the widespread colonisation of a continent.
Whilst growing up in the mountain village of Regent, a historical settlement of liberated slaves in Sierra Leone, I was often referred to as “Krio Boy” like other progenies of liberated slaves. This label seems overtly innocuous but is a significant identification of a group of people perceived as foreign to the country, who were treated with suspicion and guile. That characterisation followed me through to adulthood when the effect became apparent and sometimes perplexing. The Creoles were intrinsically despised by other ethnic groups, who regarded themselves more native to Sierra Leone than the Creoles. This assumption through no fault of theirs was due to complexities that this book will attempt to explore.
Although the Creoles themselves were not entirely cohesive, they however harboured a reciprocal disregard and dislike for the other tribal groups whom they considered uncivilised and with lifestyles they felt were below their own. Civilisation to the Creoles was essentially the practice of Christianity and its antecedent British culture. They often blame the indigenous population for many of the ills in society. There has always been a mutual distrust between the Creoles and other ethnic groups since the formative years of the resettlement of liberated slaves in Freetown, the present capital city of Sierra Leone. Over time, the unavoidable influence of the British helped to promote the rancour between the Creoles and the other tribal groups with whom they shared a common space. The tension became intense and remained so for prolonged periods, especially during the political struggles in the late 1950s, to succeed the departing British colonial autocrats. The Creoles, however, never stood a chance against the overwhelming tide of hostility from the rest of the country but were, however, resolute and learnt to live with their fate. Despite the almost unbridgeable schism that exists amongst the other main ethnic groups, the Creoles remain a common enemy to all.
Regent village was a community built by liberated slaves and their descendants. Their dwellings were designed and constructed to replicate and reflect the architecture and culture of slavers and plantation owners they were familiar with in Europe and the Americas. The Regent settlement was deliberately and strategically located along a valley overshadowed by very steep hills and mountains. The abundance of fresh water and arable land suitable for vegetable gardening and upland farming were alluring essentials to sustain the settlers. The sedate environment and culture of the people hardly changed over the years. The Creoles were conservative and practiced Christianity avidly. The very religion that was used by British colonialists to pacify them during their resistance against domination and exploitation.
During my adolescence, I spent endless hours listening to the views and opinions of my parents which were generally liberal compared with the extreme convictions and ideologies of many others. As time went on, it became clear that despite the hostility shown towards them by other ethnic groups, there was something much stronger that held them precariously together than the superficial differences that threatened their very existence. My parents and their peers spent inordinate hours, often extoling the virtues of notable Creole firebrands for their heroics in confronting the autocracy and atrocities of colonialism. Names like Wallace Johnson, Galba Bright, Coffee Nicol, Malamah Thomas, Ajayi Crowther and many others who carried names bestowed on them by their slave masters. Those were eminent Creoles who in diverse ways made a difference during the harsh days of colonialism. These heroes featured repeatedly in many passionate debates and arguments they had. Their discussions were almost always about their perceptions of how the British usurped their political rights in favour of the other ethnic groups within the country.
As I grew into adulthood, I began to question some of their postulations and moral judgments of especially the male figures within and out of my family circle. I came to realise that although they had strong feelings against the males within the other ethnic groups, they were particularly partial towards the irresistible beauty of women from especially the Mendes, with whom many of the Creoles fathered children. A reciprocation of such overtures by males from other ethnic groups was considered abhorrent by the chauvinism that pervaded the society of the Creoles. Despite their hubris, the Creoles were generally petrified of the Temnes, another ethnic group with which they maintained a relatively tenuous relationship.
Ironically, despite the hardship and suffering inflicted upon them by the British, the Creoles somehow managed to cultivate a rather strange affinity for them. Conversely, they failed abjectly to recognise the many attributes they shared with the other ethnic groups. Rather, with the effluxion of time, they became preoccupied with trivialities and were consumed with envy for the political power the other groups wielded.
The Creoles comprise a relatively small ethnic group peculiar to Sierra Leone. Families are therefore easily traceable. My late mother often introduced us to families close to ours and encouraged us to maintain relationships as best as we could whilst we go through life. However, it was quite noticeable that she hardly struggled to breeze through the genealogy of her family, whenever she felt the need for self-reassurance. She would mention the same names repeatedly and was truly agonising to watch her desperately try to construct a family tree with hardly any root, that, for all intent and purposes, could stretch beyond her own parents and immediate relatives.
My close friends were mainly Temnes, Mendes and a few Konos. Though my associations were genuine and seemingly filial, perhaps instinctively making up for the deficiencies within my own family and community, there were often signs of suspicion and the occasional hostility towards me. Whatever odd feelings were manifested towards me or my peers w