Abina and the Important Men
Abina and the Important Men
Abina and the Important Men: a Graphical History was written by Trevor R. Getz and Liz Clarke. The story of Abina Mansah is somewhat an inspiring graphical history based on an 1876 court transcript. Abina, a woman of West Africa, was wrongfully enslaved and as a consequence, she took her former master, Quamina Eddoo, to court. The overall setting took place on the Gold Coast during the 19th century. The main scenes take place in the court room, which is filled with many “important men.” The men included a British judge, two Euro African attorneys, countrymen, and an entire jury of wealthy, high class local town leaders. This book is broken down into several parts; the graphical history, transcript, historical context, reading guide, and classroom version. All of these parts combined help to reconstruct and create a better interpretation of the story of Abina Mansah.
The Gold Coast at this time was under English rule as the British began to abolish slavery. Abina was born into one of the protectorates, Asante, and enslaved in her youth. She was formerly the wife of Yaw Awoah and sold to her former master, Quamina Eddoo, to begin working in his sister Eccoah’s household. While staying at Eddoo’s plantation, Abina was told she had to marry, against her will, Tando. Tando was a man of Eddoo and because Abina didn’t want to marry him, she was told if she didn’t she would be flogged. “They say that in Cape Coast all are free.”(Chapter 1 page 7) Knowing this, Abina decided to escape her master to find freedom at a local market. At the market, she met a lady who offered to help her. Abina found out that she needed a paper saying that she was free, but in order to get that piece of paper, she needed a job and a place to stay so she’d belong. The lady then directed her to an “important man”, James Davis. “Well, it’s true that there is no legal slavery here in Cape Coast, or throughout the colony and protectorate. But look, the government
Abina and the Important Men: a Graphical History was written by Trevor R. Getz and Liz Clarke. The story of Abina Mansah is somewhat an inspiring graphical history based on an 1876 court transcript. Abina, a woman of West Africa, was wrongfully enslaved and as a consequence, she took her former master, Quamina Eddoo, to court. The overall setting took place on the Gold Coast during the 19th century. The main scenes take place in the court room, which is filled with many “important men.” The men included a British judge, two Euro African attorneys, countrymen, and an entire jury of wealthy, high class local town leaders. This book is broken down into several parts; the graphical history, transcript, historical context, reading guide, and classroom version. All of these parts combined help to reconstruct and create a better interpretation of the story of Abina Mansah.
The Gold Coast at this time was under English rule as the British began to abolish slavery. Abina was born into one of the protectorates, Asante, and enslaved in her youth. She was formerly the wife of Yaw Awoah and sold to her former master, Quamina Eddoo, to begin working in his sister Eccoah’s household. While staying at Eddoo’s plantation, Abina was told she had to marry, against her will, Tando. Tando was a man of Eddoo and because Abina didn’t want to marry him, she was told if she didn’t she would be flogged. “They say that in Cape Coast all are free.”(Chapter 1 page 7) Knowing this, Abina decided to escape her master to find freedom at a local market. At the market, she met a lady who offered to help her. Abina found out that she needed a paper saying that she was free, but in order to get that piece of paper, she needed a job and a place to stay so she’d belong. The lady then directed her to an “important man”, James Davis. “Well, it’s true that there is no legal slavery here in Cape Coast, or throughout the colony and protectorate. But look, the government