Anna Madgijoor Analysis

Daniel Schafer, the author of Anna Madgigine Jai Kingsley: African princess, Florida Slave, Plantation Slaveowner, hopes to convince the reader that Anta Majigeen Ndiaye is an heir to the royal lineage by describing the state of Senegal before and during the time she was born up until her arrival in the United States. He stresses the political, economic, and social factors by stating that the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries of Senegal featured numerous wars and slave raids. Rivalries heightened as Kajoor became the most powerful of the four Wolof states. Internal religious wars broke out in Kajoor between 1790 and 1809. This quickly spread to the surrounding area as the tyeddo warriors heightened the hostility by attacking other Wolof
Not only is it unlikely that Anna Kingsley assumed this much responsibility at only thirteen years old and months before her child was to be born, but also Schafer provides no evidence to support his statement. A letter written by Anna or Zephaniah that described Anna’s day-to-day routine would strengthen Schafer’s argument. It brings up the question of what Anna did while her husband was away and what was her relationship like with her children. This information could be found in a diary kept by one of her kids. The East Florida Papers, a record of East Florida’s social history during the Spanish colonial period, supports the fact that Abraham Hannahan and Peter were plantation managers and disproves Schafer’s assertion that Anna Kingsley became manager at Laurel Grove. Abraham Hannahan was brought to East Florida in 1804 and placed in charge of Laurel Grove by Zephaniah Kingsley. This slave “driver” enforced a task system that allowed the workers to spend the rest of the day as they wished once their tasks were complete. He allocated the tasks for the day and watched to ensure the work was finished satisfactorily. Peter performed a similar role at Springfield and was second in command under
She was given five acres by the Spanish government to establish a homestead. Schafer does not provide any historical records relating the reason for Anna moving to this location, but he does suggest that this location allowed Zephaniah to expand his trading business. He also does not describe the type of crops grown at Horse Landing. This could be found in a diary, a letter, or a statement made by any of Anna’s neighbors. The Patriot War Papers verifies the reality that Anna became the owner of twelve slaves after her manumission. This freedom was supported by medieval Spanish law, which also allowed slaves to work extra jobs in order to save up money to buy their freedom at half of their assessed value. A court testimony of Zephaniah Kingsley’s will by Mary Sammis reinforces the slaves Anna and Zephaniah owned were not abused by their owner. Anna took care of the slaves by examining their health each day and tending to their ailments and injuries. A limited number of sources that relate to Anna’s time at Horse Landing and her refugee in Haiti are examined by Schafer. He details the startup of Anna’s independence, but more information about her being away from Laurel Grove and her life in Haiti would paint a better picture of her change from slave to slave