History of Afro Martinique people of African ancestry in the Carribeans .
Thursday, February 23, 2023
Afro Martinique also referred as Afro Martinicians are descendants of both Freed and Enslaved Africans who were captured by the French from mostly West and Central Africa.
They came from African countries such as what is Present day Nigeria , Present day Congo , Present day Togo , Present day Benin , Present day Angola , Republic of Guinea , Present day Senegal , Guinea Bissau , Gabon , Sierra Leone , Gabon, Mozambique , Burkina Faso and other parts of Africa . It is believed they came from ethnic groups such as Kikongo , Kimbundu , Mina, Fon , Aja , Luba, Yoruba, Igbo , Ijaw , Ibibio , Hausa , Fulani , Balanta, Bamileke , Tikar , Temne, Bambara , Kanuri and other ethnic groups across Africa .
It is said Enslaved Africans were sold by the French from Africa to Martinique during Slave Trade , they laboured on the Sugar , Coffee and Indigo plantations furthermore , enslaved Africans engaged in series of revolts between 1752, 1789 to 1790 , 1,000 Africans who were enslaved and freed rebelled against the French People . It is believed Afro Martinique have African Ancestry , some Amerindian and Creole Ancestry.
According to Sydney Daney’s historical account, It is said Martinique got its name when Christopher Columbus , sighted the Island in 1493 and finally landed in 1502 . It is said the Island was known as Jouanaca era by the Caribs, which It is said to be the Island of iguanas .
After so called Columbus Initial discovery the name then evolved into Madinia which is the Island of flowers or Matinite , It is said Columbus returned to the Island in the 1500s , he rechristened the Island to be known as Martinica therefore, through the Influence of the neighboring Island of La Dominique which became Martinique.
Enslaved Africans in Martinique wrote a letter “We know that the King has made us free, we expect to be so. If giving us our liberty be opposed, we will spread fire and blood through all the Colony . Nothing in it shall be spared but the public buildings and the religious houses. The letter was written in French which was translated from French language to English language later and during the Slave revolt was from 1789-1790 in Martinique when the letter was written .
According to Kent Johnson’s historical account , The Importation of capturing Africans to the shores of Martinique was made illegal in 1815, however majority chose to continue Slave trading , In 1835, a Ship with a cargo of 40 enslaved Africans had crashed into rocks on the southeast shores of Martinique , killing by the French half of men and women on board. Enslaved Africans were fell victim to the sinking ships , the revolution of 1848 found an echo in Martinique where revolt and the abolition of Slavery applied on 27th May , 1848, It is said Victor Schoelcher had convinced the government to sign an emancipation Proclamation and Slavery was abolished only 14 years in Martinique before Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation . In the early 16th Century , French had started Atlantic Slave Trade, a century before a ship had sailed to Africa .
Nearly 200 ships captured enslaved Africans from Present day Sierra Leone from the 3 Norman ports between 1540 and 1578 . The French and Dutch government was believed to have sought to promote Plantation economies in the west Indies furthermore, It is believed Dutch had established their successful French Sugar mill in 1655 . By 1670, Martinique , Guadeloupe and St. Christopher had 300 Sugar estates . It is said the French fleet took many factories from the Dutch in Goree and the Senegambia In the 1670s , the French government offered a bounty of 10 livers per enslaved transported to the French West Indies .
It is said during the 1730s, French shipped more than 100,000 Enslaved Africans from Africa to Martinique, By the 1760s the average number of Slave ships leaving the French ports was said to be 56 a year and they were bigger ships averaging 364 per ship .
In 1767, the French overtook the British in Sugar production for the 1st time . The Conditions on the plantations in Martinique by French enslavers was barbaric , full of abuse and torture compared to Slavery in America and the Other parts of the Carribeans. The Nantes also enslaved 55,000 Africans to the Martinique in 180 ships from 1739 and In 1775, Louis XIV of France, La Rochelle, Bordeaux , Saint Malo Harfleur , La lavre and Rouen played a big role in French Slave Trade in Martinique .
According to HBC’s historical account , Slave Trade in Martinique was Initially combined conducted by French , Dutch , Portuguese and Spanish who established trading posts along the Western coast of Africa . The Dutch established trading their company and French was believed to have formed the Senegal Company and French Slave Trade became widely spread out during the reign of Louis XIV when he succeeded the French throne in 1643 . French Traders first made Goree in Present day Senegal and Present day Nigeria their main Involvement of capturing enslaved Africans , Others believed regularly 1,400 enslaved Africans had sailed In 1715 at the port of Nantes .
Sugar Plantations in Martinique , enslaved Africans revolted , some committed suicides believing there is no way out of Slavery , many were raped , abused and Others escaped for their freedom from Slavery . French Slave owners had children with black women as well , It is believed though the Portuguese and British dominated the Transatlantic Slave Trade , the French were were considered as the 3rd largest Slave traders who were elevated to that rank by the staggering numbers of enslaved Africans sent to Saint Domingue which is Haiti in the late 18th Century and a number of 217,200 enslaved Africans shipped to Martinique .
It is believed an estimated 450,000 enslaved Africans were transported In the ships by Nantes between the 18th and 19th Centuries . The Sugar Industry in Martinique began to grow and Europeans profited out of the Sugar Cane Plantations in the 18th and 19th Century . Due to the revolution throughout the Caribbean , Martinique was an Island divided into many groups such as the townspeople were also known as Patriotes and Planters . The Patriotes were allies of the revolutionaries, while the Planters placed their allegiance with the royalists, It is said the towns people gained control of the Island at first and were brought together by the revolutionary Lacrosse across Martinique and St. Lucia were led by General Rochambeau . In Martinique , there were Slave riots in Le Carbet, Saint Pierre and Grand Ase also Slavery was abolished in French Island of Martinique In 1848 . The Declaration of Rights of men took place in 1789 , twice as many ships sailed from Africa before 1820 and also left the French ports in 1819. Some of the enslaved Africans were also taken to Guadeloupe and French Guiana as the late as 1848.
The African Spirituality known as Vodu also referred as Quimbos, Vodum , Fodun and Vudu in Martinique Including the West African deities and Kimbundu deities of Angola .
As late as 1848, recently Imported enslaved Africans from West Africa to Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana followed by an uprising Slave revolts before Slavery was abolished also they were converted to Christianity Including Protestantism , Catholicism and others being forced to had converted by European Colonial Slave Traders . They kept their Indigenous African Spirituality which is Vodu and it is also referred as Quimbos , Vodum , Fodun and Vudu in Martinique . Quimbos also known as Vodu in Martinique It is combined or mixed with West African deities such as Papa Legba also known as Papa leba, Sakpata, Agbe, Nanan Buluku also spelled as Nana Buluku , Ayaba, Mahu-Lusa which is Mawu Lisa , Avlekete , Catholicism Saints and some of the Angolan Kimbudu deities .
The Carnival and Its Celebration in Martinique .
Carnival in Martinique share similarities with Brazil and Trinidad , the fat Sunday in Martinique is known as Dimanche Gras which take place on the 6th of March and the Martinique Creole is mixed with French , Spanish some African languages such as Gbe speaking language including Adja , Fon languages spoken in Benin and Togo and some Kikongo language of the Congos. During the Carnival Parades , Singing and Fat Monday in Martinique which brings mock weddings, burlesque parodies played out in the City streets with men dressed as pregnant brides or floozies , women serving as reluctant bridegrooms . Ceremonies are held well into the night , culminating in elaborate masquerade balls where drag is the preferred costume de nuit .
The Mardi Gras also known as Fat Tuesday or all red costume day is about kids, with glorious processions with people wearing red costumes, carrying home made tridents and wearing fright masks made of animal skins and horns. It is said red cloth jumpsuits are adorned with l,00 of glittering mirrors and small bells that jingle as the kids dance all the way to sundown. The elders carry on the party from there until many weeks. La fete des Diablessed marks the climax of the celebration with more than 30,000 People gathering to mark the end of Carnival and celebrating the life of the dead also there is red , black, white worn, their faces smeared with pale ash or white flour, wear embroidered waist petticoats and blouses, a black shirt and headscarf made with a damask white table napkin. This Include black, white socks, shoes and gloves for a complete traditional ensemble .
Martinique’s Carnival ends at the close of ash Wednesday. Carnival is revived three weeks later with a 2nd bonus day of Mi careme or Mid lent with a colorful costumes, rum and parades, they also celebrate Christmas which they eat pwa d’angole which is peas which originated from Present day Angola. The red masks with animal horns originated from Present day Senegal , the Europeans referred to every practice brought from Africa to Martinique as Satanic and condemned their rich African heritage , the horns in the masks symbolize the strength, courage and wisdom , their music , beads and dance has its origins in Present day Angola and Present day Senegal as well as herbs was used to cured disease as well .
Other Rebellions in Martinique narrated by Shateek Bilal and Boogie Etienne .
According to Shateek Bilal's historical account , It is believed many Africans who were enslaved and Muslim African converts were behind many Slave revolts occurred in 1522 , In hispaniola and was led by Wolofs who were considered to be Muslims rebelled in Puerto Rico, Colombia , the Wolofs from Present day Senegal and Africans from Present day Republic of Guinea were leading and Involved in Slave revolts in 1650 in Martinique. According to Boogie Etienne’s historical account , a revolt began in Grand Bay on New Year’s day In 1791 and spread as far as Rosalie when enslaved Africans went on strike in demanded for their freedom . The 1791 revolt was led by Pollinarie in Martinique , he also helped enslaved Africans in French Guiana and Dominica after he fought followed by the weeks in the execution of Polinaire and many others.
Lumina Sophie an Afro-Martinique who rebelled against the French and fought in Martinique .
Lumina Sophie also known as Marianne Lumina Sophie , Lumina Sophie dito Surprise and other names . She was born around 1848 , Others claimed she born on 1780 and she was a black woman of African Ancestry who participated in a revolt in the 19th Century with other Unknown black freedom fighters such as Lea Galva, Loriane Zacharie there were numerous women who distinguished themselves as freedom fighters who did not accept enslavement passively .
Lumina played a significant role during the event known as the name of the Southern Insurgency in 1870 , Lumina Sophie was enslaved African woman or Afro Matinique of African Ancestry who believed God Inspired her to call on other women to revolt against the French. In 1870 , during the South uprising in Martinique then fought French Oppression , Injustice and racism , She was admired by her people because she had willingness to sacrifice herself for the revolt against the French .
According to Autre Histoire historical account , Lumina Sophie was called Suprise who was born on 5th November , 1848 in Vauclin in Present day Martinique at the house of La Broue, She was a daughter of Philomene Sophie and when her mother was enslaved they were both given the surname of their Slave Owner which is Roptus.
Others believed when Lucima was released during the abolition she was called by the name Zulma but was registered in the state Civil under the name Marie Philomene Sophie , the mother became known as Philomene Sophie Roptus while the daughter was Marie Philomene Sophie . Lumina was a seamstress who also cultivate and helped her family with cultivating the land.
She was Impregnated by her owner , She was also one of the freedom fighter in Martinique in September , 1870 .
Lumina was arrested and sent to the Colonial prison of Fort de France in Present day Martinique , She also fought in French Guiana in 1871 of the month of december before she was murdered or assassinated by the French Colonialist because she liberated her people during the abolition movement and Slavery Period .