Story of 75 Igbos that killed themselves rather than being slaves in a foreign land

The Igbo people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. The Igbo language is a part of the Niger-Congo language family. In rural Nigeria, Igbo people work mostly as traders, farmers and craftsmen. The most important crop is the yam. Other staple crops include cassava and taro. Now let us look into the story of the largest mass suicide of Igbo slaves in 1803.

In 1803 one of the largest mass suicides in the history of enslaved people took place when Igbo captives from Nigeria were taken to the Georgia coast. When the Igbo people and other West Africans captives arrived in Savannah, Georgia in May 1803, on the slave ship the Wanderer. They were purchased by John Couper and Thomas Spalding, for $100 and to be resold to plantation on nearby St. Simons Island.

During the voyage, approximately 75 Igbo slaves rose to rebellion, took control of the ship. It is recorded that, after the took control of the ship, only the Igbos slaves, marched ashore, singing, led by their high chief. Then at his direction, they walked into the marshy waters of Dunbar Creek, committing mass suicide. They believed it was better to die a free man, than to be a slave in another man`s land.

Today people are the pride of Nigeria and the world at large. They produced that great political and cultural colossus, Nnamdi Azikwe, Igbo-land produced that mathematics genius, Professors James Esielo, they produced that great writer Chinua Achebe. Today we honor them even in their shadow.