Africans in Britain
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Welcome to Europe Level 1, Lesson 1: Africans in Britain
In this lesson, you will learn about:
The Phoenicians
The Romans
The Moors in Britain
Africans in Britain during the time of slavery
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will understand:
When Africans arrived in Britain compared to the English
Why the Phoenicians travelled to Britain
Who the Aurelian Moors were
Who Septimius Severus was
Who the Beachy Head Lady and Ivory Bangle Lady were
What Queen Elizabeth I requested
Who the Sons of Africa were
Who Phillis Wheatley and Mary Prince were
Black people were living in England before the English.
The Anglo-Saxons, now called the English, arrived in Britain around 450 AD and the Normans arrived in 1066 AD. However by this time Africans had been living in England for over 1000 years.
The Phoenicians, who set up a colony in Spain, travelled to Cornwall, the southwestern tip of Britain over 2000 years ago. Here they would mine for cassiterite, the ore form of tin, and use it to produce bronze. Bronze was of great importance in the ancient world as it was a strong metal that was easy to cast, mould and sharpen. It was used for weapons, armour, currency and tools.
The Romans invaded Britain a little under 2000 years ago, bringing many Afro-Roman soldiers and generals onto the island. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius had a legion of soldiers from modern-day Morocco, Libya and Tunisia dubbed the Aurelian Moors. These soldiers were stationed at Cumbria, northern England. Hundreds of skeletons belonging to African Romans have also been found in York, a city that was founded by the Romans.
Septimius Severus was another Roman Emperor from Africa. Born in modern-day Libya over 1800 years ago, he traveled into Britain to help strengthen the Roman defenses at Hadrian’s Wall. He and his African troops then invaded what today is Scotland.
The remains of African women have been found dating from this period as well. The remains of one woman, named the Beachy Head Lady, were discovered in Somerset in southwest England. She was an Afro-Roman woman who is thought to have lived 1900 years ago. The remains of another woman have also been found in York. This Afro-Roman woman, named the Ivory Bangle Lady, was found buried with silver and gold, indicating that she was a person of status in Britain at the time. She is thought to have lived around 1770 years ago.
During and after the Moorish conquests of the Iberian Peninsula, African Muslims traveled to and settled in a multitude of European countries, including Britain. These Africans integrated into British society and often had families with white people. Black people were found working in the various royal courts of Europe, including the court of Henry VIII in Britain. They had many occupations, from musicians to guards to medical practitioners.
Once the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade began, Africans were still living in Britain in significant numbers. In fact, the Black population was so large that Queen Elizabeth I requested that they be expelled from the country! Thousands of Africans worked and lived across Britain, with the majority of them dwelling in London. Some were also forced into slavery in Britain too, although it was declared that Britain was “too pure an air for slaves” and that slavery should only happen in the colonies. However, as the years went on and the Slave Trade grew larger, more and more enslaved Africans were brought to Britain.
At the height of the Slave Trade, Africans that had freed themselves journeyed to Britain to fight Black enslavement. Black abolitionist groups were formed to combat the genocide and mass atrocities of slavery. Olaudah Equiano, Ottobah Coguano and Ignatius Sancho, who were previously enslaved Africans that had gotten freedom, formed the “Sons of Africa”, a Black abolitionist group. Black women such as Phillis Wheatley and Mary Prince also championed against slavery, with the latter being the first woman to ever publish a book on abolition. It was thought that the best way to fight slavery was to do it in the heart of the empire.
The history of Britain is intertwined with the presence of Black people, but racist policies and the myth of white supremacy has led to the erasure of Black people from any part of British history other than slavery. However, Black people have lived and worked on the island for thousands of years.