Ties That Bind - Bamileke Roots

As reported during the 2009 Atlas Family Reunion, a genealogical DNA test was conducted on a direct male descendant of King Atlas, Sr. to determine the African ancestry of King Atlas, Sr. and his ancestors. The results came back with a 100% match with the Bamileke people of Cameroon using the Y-Chromosomal test that identifies ancestry on the paternal side. This result means that either King's father or grandfather was taken from Africa via the Transatlantic Slave Trade.



According to About.Com, between 1800 and 1850, two-thirds of the slaves involved in the Transatlantic Slave Trade came from the Bight of Biafra and the nearby Bight of Benin. (See below)


Geography, the Bight of Biafra is closest to Cameroon.

King Atlas, Sr. was born between 1809 and 1810 in Georgia or Alabama. On the 1870 US Census, he is listed with having a father of foreign birth. This corroborates with the DNA test result and the deductions made from it. With this in mind, an approximate birth date for King, Sr.'s father would be 1791 or earlier. We know that he was in the United States by 1809 or 1810 for King, Sr. to have been born here.

Using this information, a search was conducted on the TransAtlantic Slave Trade Database, sponsored by Emory University. (For more on this database, please see a previous post) The date range 1740 to 1809 was selected to include voyages that either King, Sr.'s father or grandfather could have been on. There were only six results for this time period.

Of the six results, only one had first slave purchases that were conducted in Gabon, which is just south of Cameroon and an ending destination of the Americas:
  • Year: 1808
    Date Voyage Began: January 12, 1808
    Ship Name: Santana Flor da Africa
    Flag: Portugal /Brazil
    Date Vessel Departed Africa: July 18, 1808
    Place Where Voyage Began: São Tomé or Princes Island
    Region Where Voyage Began: Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea Islands
    Principal Region of Slave Purchase: Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea Islands
    Principal Place of Slave Purchase: Gabon
    First Region of Slave Landing: Pernambuco, port unspecified
    Places of Call Before Atlantic Voyage: Princes Island
    Particular Outcome of Voyage: Sold slaves in Americas - subsequent fate unknown
    Outcome of Voyage for Slaves: Slaves disembarked in Americas
    Date Vessel Arrived with Slaves: November 9, 1808
    Voyage Length: 302 days (A little over 10 months)
    Middle Passage Length: 114 days (3.8 months)
    Total Slaves Embarked: 208
    Total Slaves Disembarked: 181 (21 died)
Two others could be possibilities:
  • Year: 1805
    Date Voyage Began: Unknown
    Ship Name: S Antonio Bonsucesso
    Flag: Portugal /BrazilYear Arrived with Slaves: 1805
    Place Where Voyage Began: Sao Tome or Princes Island
    Region Where Voyage Began: Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea Islands
    Principal Place of Slave Purchase: Gabon
    Principal Region of Slave Purchase: Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea Islands
    Principal Place of Slave Landing: Bahia, port unspecified
    Places of Call Before Atlantic Crossing: Princes Island
    Particular Outcome of Voyage: Bought at least one slave in Africa – subsequent fate unknown
    Outcome of Voyage for Slaves: Slaves embarked, transshipped or no further record
    Total Slaves Embarked: 32
    Total Slaves Disembarked: 28 (4 died)

  • Year: 1772
    Date Voyage Began: Unknown
    Ship Name: Unkown
    Captain’s Name: Antonio Marques de Oliveira
    Flag: Portugal /Brazil
    Year Arrived with Slaves: Place Where Voyage Began: Princes Island
    Region Where Voyage Began: Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea Islands
    First Region of Slave Purchase: Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea Islands
    Principal Place of Slave Purchase: Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea Islands
    Principal Region of Slave Purchase: Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea Islands
    First Place of Slave Purchase: Princes Island
    Principal Place of Slave Landing: Brazil, region unspecified
    Principal Region of Slave Landing: Other Brazil
    Particular Outcome of Voyage: Bought at least one slave in Africa – subsequent fate unknown
    Outcome of Voyage for Slaves: Slaves embarked, transshipped or no further record
    Total Slaves Embarked: 211
    Total Slaves Disembarked: 188 (23 died)
While this database is not all inclusive, it does provide some key information into the trading patterns in the region during the specified time period. Research into this is continual.

Comments

Taneya said…
That is absolutely amazing to have the 100% match to a tribe from Cameroon. And then to use the slave database to seek a potential ship! I look forward to hearing more.
tbrown38 said…
I feel like I am coming full circle.For years I have wanted to know where my african ancestry led back to.Thanks for sharing this intresting information!

Tracey Phillips Brown
Sun Prairie,Wi.
Patrick said…
Nicka,

I studied abroad in Cameroon during college, and lived with a Bamileke family during my stay. From firsthand experience, I can attest to the Bamileke reputation as a rich and proud culture, known for their industriousness and hospitality. I loved every minute of the time I spent with my homestay family and cherish the memories of my time spent with them.

I am truly impressed with the efforts you have undertaken with your genealogical research and the publishing of this information-rich blog. It is a wonderful endeavor which will assuredly encourage and enable others to more fully discover their African heritage. Although separated by centuries and the Atlantic Ocean, it would seem that your Bamileke roots run quite deep.
Nicka said…
@ Patrick: Wow! So glad you had a wonderful experience and thank you for your kind words. Our trip back to Cameroon this past December/January was exactly the way you described, especially for Cameroon overall. Here's to you going back one day!
Anonymous said…
It´s a pleasure for me to have discovered this blog, in which some researches have been done on Bamileke and its relation to the african-American in the USA, I am a bamileke guy, by the way. I am sure that you will estabilsh the next relation between Bamileke, jews and the old egyptian?
This is awesome! My cousin conducted a DNA test and received results last week that revealed our lineage to the Bamileke People as well(Maternally). St. Louis, MO
jnv1619 said…
I have just discovered that my ancestors are Bamileke and am eager to learn more about my culture.

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