West African Narratives of Slavery

Sandra E. Greene is Professor of History at Cornell University. She is author of Sacred Sites and the Colonial Encounter (IUP, 2002).

"Greene (Cornell) presents and analyzes five previously unpublished or untranslated narratives of slavery to make a substantial contribution to historical scholarship on slavery in West Africa. These narratives take a variety of forms—a life history, two biographical accounts, a diary, and an oral history—and describe the experiences of individuals and communities with the institution of slavery. What makes this book tremendously valuable, particularly for undergraduates, is how Greene examines the historical, literary, and cultural contexts in which each narrative was produced. In particular, the author pays careful attention to how the narratives were recorded and by whom. Each narrative is preceded by a map with locations of the places discussed in the text as well as a chronology of important events, providing readers with the appropriate tools to engage in an informed reading of the narratives. A must have for academic libraries supporting an undergraduate curriculum in Africana studies. Summing Up: Essential. General and undergraduate collections. —Choice"—S. T. Durrant, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis"It is an important contribution to the expanding literature on African enslavement during the decline of trans-Atlantic transportation and its displacement by 'legitimate' commerce, and essential reading for those seeking to understand the lived experience of African slaves."—Biography"The book not only sheds light on a little understood but pervasive aspect of Ghanaian history and culture, it also invites and makes possible the comparative study of North American slave narratives with those that represent the experience of slavery for Africans who remained in Africa."—African Studies Review"What makes this book tremendously valuable, particularly for undergraduates, is how Greene examines the historical, literary, and cultural contexts in which each narrative was produced. ... A must have for academic libraries supporting an undergraduate curriculum in Africana studies. ...Essential.October 2011"—Choice"These rare examples . . . compellingly reveal the chaos left behind. Greene sensitively reveals the human experiences of warfare, scattering of communities, and capture of the survivors that wracked the Gold Coast region."—Joseph C. Miller, University of Virginia"Greene's analysis is as valuable as the documents themselves."—Martin Klein, University of Toronto

• ContentsAcknowledgmentsA Note on the TranslationsA Note on Ewe OrthographyIntroductionPart 1. Aaron Kuku: The Life History of a Former Slave1. Enslavement Remembered2. The Life History of Aaron KukuPart 2. The Biographies of Lydia Yawo and Yosef Famfantor: Life in Slavery/Life after Abolition3. To Stay or Go: Exploring the Decisions of the Formerly Enslaved4. Come Over and Help Us! The Life Journey of Lydia Yawo, a Freed Slave5. Yosef FamfantorPart 3. Paul Sands's Diary: Living with the Past/Constructing the Present and the Future6. Open Secrets and Sequestered Stories: A Diary about Family, Slavery, and Self in Southeastern Ghana7. The Diary of Paul Sands: ExcerptsPart 4. A Kidnapping at Atorkor: The Making of a Community Memory8. Our Citizens, Our Kin Enslaved9. Oral Traditions about Individuals EnslavedConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex