Prince Among Slaves

In 1788, the slave ship Africa set sail from West Africa with hundreds of enslaved people, including a 26-year-old man named Abdul-Rahman, who claimed to be an African prince. He was sold in Natchez, Mississippi, and spent 40 years in slavery before being freed. Abdul-Rahman married, had nine children, and eventually became a famous figure in America, attracting the support of powerful men like President John Quincy Adams. He traveled the northern states, raising funds to free his children, and eventually returned to Africa at 67, where he died soon after.