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Mississippi in Africa: The Saga of the Slaves of Prospect Hill Plantation and Their Legacy in Liberia Today
by
Alan Huffman (Goodreads Author)
When wealthy Mississippi cotton planter Isaac Ross died in 1836, his will decreed that his plantation, Prospect Hill, should be liquidated and the proceeds from the sale be used to pay for his slaves' passage to the newly established colony of Liberia in western Africa. Ross's heirs contested the will for more than a decade, prompting a deadly revolt in which a group of sl...more
Paperback, 328 pages
Published
July 8th 2010
by University Press of Mississippi
(first published 2004)
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I've read a plethora of books from and about Africa, but so far have managed to somehow largely ignore writings about West Africa's Liberia. Alan Huffman brings us the fascinating story of a slaveowner from the southern U.S. states who provided in his will freedom for his slaves and the chance to start a new life in the American colony of Liberia. I certainly was not aware of the history surrounding such events and had no idea that American blacks ended up becoming slaveholders themselves in pla...more
This book explores freed slaves’ “repatriation” to Liberia and the history of Liberia in this context. This was a really interesting look into how repatriation actually functioned, the complicated dynamics of having ex-slaves essentially colonize the area now known as Liberia, and the legacy of that nuanced history on Liberia today. I was fascinated by the actual content of the story and the history, but didn’t think it was all that well written and think the book could have been infinitely more...more
Mississippi in Africa details the extremely fascinating story of enslaved black people who were repatriated back to Africa in the early to mid 19th century and who, eventually, became the "founders" of the country known as Liberia. In 1836, one Isaac Ross, a plantation owner in Mississippi, died. In his will, he specified that the humans he held in bondage should be freed and passage would be paid for their relocation to Africa, if they so chose. By 1849, 200 of the 225 enslaved had emigrated to...more
I found this book when I came back from Liberia. When I was there I saw the after effects of the recent Civil War, destroyed buildings, destroyed economy, destroyed people. This book helped me to understand that war and how it resulted from generations of tension dating back to the repatriation of freed Negro slaves from America who settled there, and the natives who had been living there all along. The experience of being in that poor country and the reading of this book had a big impact on me.
This was a fascinating history of the founding of the African nation of Liberia when the US wanted to send all the slaves "back to Africa." It tells the story of how some American slaves emigrated to Liberia, battled the "heathen" Africans, and set up huge plantations with big white plantation houses. It really helps you to understand why Liberia has been such a violent place for many years with leaders with very un-African names like Charles Taylor who is on trial for war crimes before the Hagu...more
White people horrifically kidnapped black people and brought them to Mississippi. Grandkids of white people felt remorse and shipped grandkids of said black people back to Africa. Nothing good came of either. Modern Liberia, like modern Mississippi, sucks.
The book had a lot of interesting information and facts but felt very dry at times (almost like reading a textbook?). Worth reading for the informational aspect but not a good vacation book..
This book really brought up a lot of resentments that I have inside regarding my status as an American Black woman. I have to look within myself and see how I am so assimilated by white culture that I would've been just as ridiculous as the new settlers in Liberia were. I'm still trying to understand how I can have a relationship with my African brothers and sisters considering that some of their ancestors were responsible for my ancestors being in slavery.
A very well-researched book. I enjoyed this book!
Agree completely with Shaninun's rating. This is a five star book.
Alan Huffman is a friend of mine from Mississippi. This is an amazing story linked to him by the plantation home he took down, moved and put back up. He is a great story teller.
Great book; different take on Southern history. I was hooked by the history and the narrative. Recommended.
Interesting connection, but the detail dragged a bit.
May 24, 2013
Tony Vrnjas
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
bellville-library,
great-african-reads
Feb 23, 2013
Jennifer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
southern-history,
mississippi
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