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:
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)
- 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)
Comments
Tracey Phillips Brown
Sun Prairie,Wi.
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.