Anna Kingsley Daniel Shafer Summary
Daniel L. Shafer, author of Anna Madgigine Jia Kingsley, African Princess, Florida Slave, Plantation Slaveowner, traveled to Europe, the Caribbean, and West Africa to research. Shafer gave an account of Anna Kingsley’s life, who he explains to be and African “princess”. He shares the struggles that she endured once being an enslaved African American to becoming a free woman and plantation owner. The book was very interesting but I felt lacked first hand evidence of Anna Kingsleys life. Anta Majigeen Ndiaye (Anna Kingsley) was taken from her home in Senegal. Only being thirteen years old in 1806 she was sold into slavery. She was bought by Zephaniah Kingsley and brought back to his 3000-acre plantation near the St. johns river. Not long after,
Zephaniah made Anna his wife and his household manager. Five years later in 1811 Zephaniah legally freed his wife along with their children. Shortly after Anna moved to her own homestead in Mandarin where she became the owner of a farm and twelve slaves she received from Zephaniah. Anna went from being an African princess, to a slave, to a free black woman, to a slave owner herself. American patriots entered East Florida burning and looting the area. Trying to over throw the Spanish government. To drive the patriots away Anna herself burned her house and property so they couldn’t find protection. Anna fled on a Spanish gunboat with her children, slaves, and husband. Anna lived the next 20 years in peace in Fort George Island. Zephaniah and Anna flourished tremendously in the area with land and goods. When Florida became American territory in 1821. The settlers moving in saw whites as free people and blacks as slaves. Transforming their lives with racial discriminations. Fearing for their families, they packed up and moved their plantation to Haiti. Zephaniah Kingsley was seventy eight years old when he died in 1843. This became a problem with his will from his white relatives tried to deny Anna and her children from their inheritance. Anna returned to Fort George once again with her daughters. Where she died in 1870. There were no diaries or letters written by Anna. We have no evidence of her emotional state.
I really enjoyed learning about Anna’s life from his book. Although I would like to have known what she was thinking though out her life. I wonder if she was a bitter woman or if she felt empowered. unfortunately, like I said before there are no diaries or letters written by Anna to which we could really get inside of her head or know the reasoning of her actions. Also, although making a wonderful story plot. Schafer doesn’t have had evidence of Anna being an African princess. Schafer explains that the continuous use of the names Madgigine and Jai throughout her life in the Americans gave evidence from the name given in the Jolof legend being Anta Majigeen Ndiaye. Shafer also uses Abousers Sy, a professor in Jolof for second hand information as to when the “princess” left and Anna was sold into slavery. (pp 15-16) When Anna Kinsley was a free black woman we really don’t see first hand how she was effected in the 1840’s and 1850’s. Schafer uses news papers, wills, articles, laws and consensus to give us an overview of the what community was going though and gives us an idea of what Anna experienced herself. The evidence that was given in this book was not directed related to Anna Kingsley’s life. The evidence Schafer gave were mainly maps (pp 91) showing estate owned by the Kingsleys. All in all, Schafer did not have enough first hand evidence for this book to be considered historical.
Zephaniah made Anna his wife and his household manager. Five years later in 1811 Zephaniah legally freed his wife along with their children. Shortly after Anna moved to her own homestead in Mandarin where she became the owner of a farm and twelve slaves she received from Zephaniah. Anna went from being an African princess, to a slave, to a free black woman, to a slave owner herself. American patriots entered East Florida burning and looting the area. Trying to over throw the Spanish government. To drive the patriots away Anna herself burned her house and property so they couldn’t find protection. Anna fled on a Spanish gunboat with her children, slaves, and husband. Anna lived the next 20 years in peace in Fort George Island. Zephaniah and Anna flourished tremendously in the area with land and goods. When Florida became American territory in 1821. The settlers moving in saw whites as free people and blacks as slaves. Transforming their lives with racial discriminations. Fearing for their families, they packed up and moved their plantation to Haiti. Zephaniah Kingsley was seventy eight years old when he died in 1843. This became a problem with his will from his white relatives tried to deny Anna and her children from their inheritance. Anna returned to Fort George once again with her daughters. Where she died in 1870. There were no diaries or letters written by Anna. We have no evidence of her emotional state.
I really enjoyed learning about Anna’s life from his book. Although I would like to have known what she was thinking though out her life. I wonder if she was a bitter woman or if she felt empowered. unfortunately, like I said before there are no diaries or letters written by Anna to which we could really get inside of her head or know the reasoning of her actions. Also, although making a wonderful story plot. Schafer doesn’t have had evidence of Anna being an African princess. Schafer explains that the continuous use of the names Madgigine and Jai throughout her life in the Americans gave evidence from the name given in the Jolof legend being Anta Majigeen Ndiaye. Shafer also uses Abousers Sy, a professor in Jolof for second hand information as to when the “princess” left and Anna was sold into slavery. (pp 15-16) When Anna Kinsley was a free black woman we really don’t see first hand how she was effected in the 1840’s and 1850’s. Schafer uses news papers, wills, articles, laws and consensus to give us an overview of the what community was going though and gives us an idea of what Anna experienced herself. The evidence that was given in this book was not directed related to Anna Kingsley’s life. The evidence Schafer gave were mainly maps (pp 91) showing estate owned by the Kingsleys. All in all, Schafer did not have enough first hand evidence for this book to be considered historical.