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Anna Kingsley Essay

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Anna Kingsley, a woman of strength and determination overcame many odds not expected of an African American slave. She married a slave owner, owned land, and was once a slave herself. She was well known in a free black community she helped establish.
Anna Madgigine Jai Kingsley was the wife of plantation owner Zephaniah Kingsley. She was the daughter of a man of high status. Her father’s sides were descendants of the well know Njaajan Njaay, the creators of the Jolof Empire. Her father was killed in April 1806, the day she was captured. The tyeddo warriors invaded her village and collected all the villagers to be sold as slaves. That day she not only lost her freedom and her home, but also her dignity and her youth (Harvey, 41).
Anna and …show more content…

Johns River. She established a lovely house for her three children and herself. She also established slave quarters fro the twelve slaves she brought with her. Spanish law viewed slaves as persons created by god and endowed with a soul and a moral personality, the unfortunate victims of fate or war (Schafer, 37). They had rights under the Spanish law that allowed them to get married, be freed for meritorious acts and also to self purchase. They were allowed to work extra jobs to earn money to buy their freedom. Once emancipated, the slaves could own property.
Anna became Catholic while living off the St. Johns. She later used the Catholic Church to protect her rights and bind her family to powerful patrons, forming an extended kinship networks through godparent ties (Schafer, 38). In 1812, the Patriot Rebellion would begin. The president of the United States, James Madison, financed and instigated the Patriot Rebellion. American soldiers and sailors crossed the East Florida’s border and took the town of Fernandina. They went south and began to attack outside St. Augustine. On the first day of the rebellion, Zephaniah was captured and held hostage until he signed a pledge to support the rebels. Laurel Groves was taken over by the soldiers and used as headquarters. Kingsley’s house and retail store was the only building left. Anna boarded a canoe and started paddling towards a ship named the Immutable. The commander, Jose Antonio Moreno gave her his word that

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