...In the book Abina and the Important Men by Trevor R. Getz, the author depicts the story of a runaway slave, Abina Mansah, prosecuting her former owner in Ghana during the 19th century. Although her story was silenced and forgotten for decades, Getz uses graphics, primary sources such as court transcriptions, and historical context to illuminate a figure who otherwise would have been overlooked in history. Unable to control her own life as a slave, Abina ran away and testified against Eddoo but lost the case. The jury acquitted Eddoo even though the British had abolished slavery. In Abina and the Important Men, Getz highlights Abina’s limited efficacy because of the complex nature of colonialism. Abina’s attempts to advocate for herself were...
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...Abina and the Important Men is “A Graphic History” about a slave girl named Abina Mansah in 1876. After slavery was abolished, a courageous young woman was enslaved against her will in the British Empire, and took her case to court. Mansah escapes a town where she was held captive called Saltpond known today as Ghana. Abina was born in Asante and worked as a house girl long before she was enslaved in Saltpond. A man named Yowawhah took her to this coastal town, where a wealthy painter named Quamina Eddo wrongfully enslaved her. Abina was placed under different people including Eddo’s sister, Eccoah, and a male member of their family. At this point she decides to flee to a British colony called Cape Coast because she was free by law. Men like Quamina Eddo were referred to as the “important men” in Abina and the Important Men. Abina was employed for James Davis, a Eurafrican translator and convinced James David to prosecute her former master, Eddo. Davis was against slavery...
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...Shanice Corlette March 26, 2013 HIS 112 (001M) Abina Essay In the story of “Abina and the important Men”, Abina Mansah is a West African who finds herself enslaved and in the town of Saltpond, where she was sold by her former master into the house of Quamina Eddoo. Quamina wants her to marry a man in his house but Abina does not want to marry him so she runs away to Cape Town in an effort to become free from slavery as she believes and live a life of her own and independent. If she hadn’t run away they might have beat her senseless till she wanted to marry. Throughout the chapters, Abina tries to fight for her rights as a “free slave”. She sends Quamina Eddoo to court for purchasing her and keeping her as a slave. She testifies against him in court and it brings out a stir of emotions along with what she and others believe is slavery or not. Magistrate Melton’s conception of slavery clearly illustrates that he does not have the same as Abina. Legally, he believes there is no slavery. He does not want to start a war against the Asante again because it was very expensive, and would cause a disturbance if they went around liberating slaves. James, counsel to Quamina Eddoo, does not believe this is slavery at all. He believes they are being protected by important men and if all “so called slaves” wanted to sue their guardians for doing work or getting little beating, then it would be chaos. Mr. Davis does not see it that manner. He believes the British is of great power...
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...The life of a slave in the West Coast of Africa Slavery was a time when people were treated unfairly and inhuman. Millions of innocent men, women, and children were held captive and died during this time. Slavery started in Africa but it became popular in the West Coast of Africa, where slavery was taking place at its fullest. Even though slavery in Africa was a common way of life for the people that lived there, it was not until the British came to the West Coast is when slavery became an economic interest, and was based on the trade and selling of slaves. Slavery had no age or gender. There were men, women and children and many members of their families that were taken into slavery. Men and young boys were mostly traded off to be sold during the middle passage. They were traded and sold to work in the in sugar “plantations in the Caribbean Brazil and Louisiana” (p. 107, Abina and the important men) were in need of strong healthy men and that were able to bear the harsh conditions of labor. Even though there were healthy young men and others who were young, these slaves were not lasting more than 7 years. They would die, after they died they would soon be replaced by others slaves. During the middle passage, there was an estimation of about 12.5 million Africans sold to be transferred and shipped to the Americas and other regions where labor was in high demand. This transfer and sale of slaves was taking place in the West Coast of Africa, there was an estimation of 74,000...
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