Who were the "liberated" Africans from St. Helena? Mystery unravelled

Between 1840 and 1867, thousands of enslaved Africans who had been “liberated” from slave ships intercepted by the British Royal Navy were taken to the South Atlantic island of St Helena. But little is written in history books or otherwise known about the lives of these individuals.

A new DNA-study analyses ancient DNA and offers the first direct evidence for the origins of St Helena’s liberated Africans.

I think this study illustrates how ancient genomics can be used to recover long lost aspects of the lives and experiences of enslaved and other marginalized communities whose stories were often omitted from written records or deliberately obscured

“It was known that they most likely originated from areas south of the equator, but where exactly they came from was unclear,” says lead author and visiting researcher at Globe Institute Marcela Sandoval-Velasco and adds:

“By sequencing their DNA and comparing it with that of thousands of living people from across sub-Saharan Africa we were able to infer where in Africa they likely originated and thereby help restore knowledge of their ancestral connections.”

Historical records of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Database had indicated that most of the captives came from West Central Africa. But details had been scant.

In the new study, Sandoval-Velasco, Associate Professor from Globe Institute Hannes Schroeder and colleagues, analyzed the ancient DNA of 20 individuals who were among the thousands ‘freed’ from slave ships and brought to St Helena. The ancestral remains in question came from archaeological excavations that took place in 2007-2008 ahead of roadwork and the construction of the island’s first airport.

The DNA analyses showed that the ‘liberated’ Africans most likely originated in the general area between northern Angola and Gabon in West Central Africa, according to the authors. They also show that most of the individuals were male, supporting a well-documented sex bias in the latter phase of the transatlantic slave trade.

The researchers say they hope the new findings create new awareness about the fate of the 27,000 liberated Africans who were brought to St Helena.

“I think this study illustrates how ancient genomics can be used to recover long lost aspects of the lives and experiences of enslaved and other marginalized communities whose stories were often omitted from written records or deliberately obscured”, says Hannes Schroeder.

This type of research can carry a lot of meaning, especially for descendant communities who are trying to recover aspects of their past. “This project was part of a larger ongoing effort by many people on and off the island to try and restore knowledge of St Helena’s liberated Africans. We hope that by telling their story we can honor their legacy and ensure that their lives and fates are not forgotten,” said Helena Bennett co-author of the study and resident of St Helena.

Contact

Associate professor Hannes Schroeder
hschroeder@sund.ku.dk
+45 42 52 36 14

Dr. Marcela Sandoval-Velasco
sandoval-velascom@si.edu
 +45 31 33 03 08

Journalist and press consultant Liva Polack
+45 35 32 54 64
liva.polack@sund.ku.dk