The Igbo Landing Of 1803

The Igbo Landing Of 1803 

Written by Anthony Ogundipe

1mins

The story of the Igbo landing of 1803 was an event that took place during the transatlantic slave trade in Nigeria. Igbo slaves decided to drown in the ocean with their freedom than becoming slaves to another man. In may 1803, about 75 slaves from the south eastern people (The Igbo people)  of Nigeria were transported through the sea, revolted by capsizing their ship, drowning themselves while they sang in Igbo "Mmuo mmiri du anyi bia, mmuo mmiri ga-edu anyi laa"  which means in English, "the water spirit brought us, the water spirit will take us back home" 


Igbo women, photographed in Nigeria, early 20th century

The Igbo landing is a historic site at Dunbar Creek on St. Simons Island, Gynn County, Georgia. It was the setting of a mass suicide in 1803 by enslaved Igbo people who had taken control of their slaved ship and refused to accept to slavery in the united state. They were purchased for an average of $100 each by slave merchants Thomas Spalding and John Couper to work on their plantations on Simons island. The chained slaves were packed under deck of a costal vessel named The Schooner York to be shipped to the island. during the voyage, about 75 Igbo slaves rose in rebellion, took control of the ship, drown their captors, and in the process caused the grounding of the ship in Dunbar Creek. They thereby accepted the protection of their god (Chukwu) and death over the alternative of being slaves to another man.

The sequence of the event is unclear as most historical finding.An account written in the 19th century recorded the captain as Patterson Roswell King as the person who discovered the remains of the drowned Igbo slaves. Another account by Savannah slave recorded that about 10 to 13 slaves were drowned. This is a record of Igbo slaves who close death over a life of slavery is a recurring story that has taken deep roots in African American history. 

Location: United States

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