African and Native American interaction
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The earliest recorded example of African slaves escaping from European colonists and being absorbed by American Indians occurred as far back as 1526. In June of that year, Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon established a Spanish colony near the mouth of the Pee Dee River in what is now eastern South Carolina. The Spanish settlement was named San Miquel de Gualdape. Amongst the settlement was 100 enslaved Africans. In 1526, the first African slaves fled the colony and was taken in by the local Indians[1]
In 1622 the European colony of Jamestown was overrun by Native Americans. The African slaves did not share the same fate as the Europeans who were killed , but where instead taken and integrated into the Native American communities.
Several colonial advertisements made direct reference to the integration of African Americans into the Native American communities. For example ..ran off with his Indian wife... had kin among the Indians .. part Indian and speaks their language good. [2]
In South Carolina, colonists became so concerned about the possible threat posed by the mixed African and Indian population that was arising as runaway Africans escapted to the Indians that they passed a new law in 1725. This law stipulated a fine of 200 pounds on anyone who even brought a slave to the frontier regions of the colony. In 1751 the colony of South Carolina found it necessary to issue another law, warning that having Africans in proximity to Indians was deemed detrimental to the security of the colony.
In 1726 the British governor of colonial New York exacted a promise from the Iroquois Indians to return all runaway slaves who had joined up with them. This same promise was extracted from the Huron Indians in 1764 and from the Delaware Indians in 1765. Despite their promises, no esacaped slaves were ever returned by these tribes, who continued to provide a safe and secure home for escaped slaves.
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[edit] Native American slave ownership
Slavery existed among Native Americans before it was introduced by the Europeans, as it was amongst Africans. When slavery became part of US law, Native Americans were legally allowed to own black slaves. The Cherokees held the most black slaves out of any Native American tribe. Records from the time period show several cases of brutal treatment of black slaves by Indian masters.
[edit] Mixing
And finally a census was undertaken of the Cherokee in 1835 where fully 10% were of African descent [2]
[edit] References
- ^ Muslims in American History : A Forgotten Legacy by Dr. Jerald F. Dirks. ISBN 1-59008-044-0 Page 204.
- ^ a b Black Indians: a Hidden Heritage. by William Loren Katz, New York, N.Y. Aladdin Paperbacks, 1997. Page 103
[edit] See also
[edit] Further reading
- Amir Nashid Ali Muhammad Muslims in America - Seven Centuries of History ISBN 0-915957-75-2
- Sylviane A. Diouf Servants of Allah - African Muslims Enslaved in the Americas ISBN 0-8147-1905-8
- Allan D. Austin African Muslims in Antebellum America ISBN 0-415-91270-9
