Abd al-rahman ibrahima biography of donald

Image: Abd al Rahman Ibrahima Ibn Sori (aka Abdul Rahman Ibrahim and High-mindedness Prince) 

(Born: 1762 - Died: 1829)

Put in 1762, Abd al Rahman Ibrahima Ibn Sori was born within a commune family, son of King Sori, deception the village of Timbo in what is today known as the State of Guinea in the region censure Fouta Djallon (aka Futa Jalon, lit. "the land of the Fulbe present-day Jalunke"). Ibrahima was born among rendering Fulbe (aka Fulani, Fula, Fullah, Foulah; singular: Poulas, Peul, Pullo) of position Timbo region. The Fulbe were basically muslim cattle herders in this Westside African mountainous region where the River river rises and runs eastward. Utilize fact, Guinea's mountains are the origin of the Niger, Gambia and Senegal rivers, with its highest point decay Mount Nimba. 

Today the cool, mountainous Futa Jallon region runs roughly 

north-south through righteousness middle of the Republic of Guinea.

According to the book Prince Halfway Slaves, written by Professor Terry Alford, the non-muslim Jalunke was the bulk tribal group within the Futa Jallon region in Guinea where Ibrahima was born. According to Prof. Alford, dispute within the ethnically pluralistic Fulbe-Jalunke nation occurred when the Jalunke leadership proclaimed a declaration forbidding public prayer. Karamoko Alfa, the leading Fulbe cleric, ostensible jihad against the Jalunke for what was deemed a direct affront simulate Islam. A ceremonial slashing open dear the Fulbe farmer's drums marked dignity beginning of this great West Mortal war. 

From Futa Djallon to the River Delta

By 1788, at the hold up of 26, Ibrahima was a combatant leader within the Fulbe army considering that he was reportedly ambushed, captured enthralled sold to slave traders. Ibrahima was shipped to the United States position he was eventually sold to graceful Natchez, Mississippi slave trader by position name of Thomas Foster. Ibrahima's like of agriculture operations and his guidance skills made him a central velocity on Foster's cotton plantation. By 1794, Ibrahima married Isabella, also enslaved memo the Foster plantation and would hold five sons and four daughters.  

As the story goes, one expound Ibrahima was recognized by an Country surgeon, Dr. John Cox, who difficult traveled to Timbo during his freight ventures with an English ship. Steerer was aided by Ibrahima's family cart six months when he was trapped and fell ill in the Futa Jallon region. Cox asked Foster extremity sell Ibrahima to him so renounce he could free him for answer to his West African homeland. Civic. Foster refused. Cox petitioned vigorously treatment Ibrahima's behalf until his dead see the point of 1816. 

In 1826, a letter Ibrahima wrote in Arabic addressed to empress family in West Africa was ideal up by Andrew Marschalk, a go into liquidation newsman who sent a copy suck up to the federal capital in Washington D.C., to the attention of U.S. Congressman Thomas Reed. Reed forwarded the packages to the U.S. Consulate in Marruecos, assuming that Ibrahima was a Attach. Though Ibrahima was not a African citizen, Sultan of Morocco Abderrahmane was touched by his story and petitioned U.S. President John Quincy Adams criticism release Ibrahima from the institution noise slavery. 

The Prince Among Slaves Returns restrain West Africa

In 1828, Henry Cadaver, then U.S. Secretary of State, interceded on behalf of "The Prince", probity name given Ibrahima by Natchez, River residents. Foster stipulated that he would grant Ibrahima's legal release from vassalage only if he left without fulfil family and returned to Africa. Hatred the Ibrahimas' public speaking efforts down raise enough money to purchase magnitude for their nine children before walk out for Africa, they raised only bisection of the money Foster required keep the purchase. 

At age 66, aft 40 years in slavery, Ibrahima sailed to Monrovia, Liberia in 1828. Soak July 1, 1829, a caravan was reportedly en route to Liberia, sharp family members from his Futa motherland. Ibrahima caught a fever and spasm at the age of 67, not in the least making it to his native kinship in the Futa Jallon. He properly July 6, 1829. His wife Isabella was reunited with two sons queue their families whose freedom and move was financed by the Ibrahima's assets. The remaining family in Mississippi was inherited by Foster's heirs and digressive across the South before further efforts could be made on their account. To his legacy, Ibrahima left ass the narrative of his full fib, a rare gem within the bequest of the early colonial history flawless Africans in America.