Samuel Moore's Report

The Biography of Mahommah G. Baquaqua, compiled by abolitionist Samuel Moore, describes enslavement and the resulting life as seen through the eyes of a citizen of the Dahomey kingdom. Baquaqua tells his tale of travelling far as an enslaved and eventually converting to Christianity after suffering great abuse by the hands of his captors. Beyond the historical value or the purely interesting story of Baquaqua’s life, the Biography of Mahommah G. Baquaqua carried a message that promoted both abolition and the spread of Christianity.

Both Samuel Moore and Mahommah Baquaqua were active and vocal abolitionists and Baquaqua’s biography was undoubtedly a tool used to aid their mission. Even during the creation of the book, Baquaqua was in Canada,

“stirring up the colored population and agitating for the abolition of slavery all over the world, a cause which ought to occupy the hearts and feelings of every benevolent and charitable man and woman throughout the world” (Biography of Mahommah G. Baquaqua 6).

Moore presents his own view that, “Too much cannot be said, written or published, on the horrible system of slavery” (Biography of Mahommah G. Baquaqua 6) and “This system of slavery causes much bloodshed and consequent misery” (Biography of Mahommah G. Baquaqua 25). To show those who might have been ignorant to the injustices that slavery caused, Baquaqua describes some of his own experiences and the effect it had on his state of mind, which reinforces Moore’s statements about the horrific state of the current system. After being consistently beaten badly, Baquaqua told Moore that, “I told him he must not whip me any more, and got quite angry, for the thought came into my head that I would kill him, and afterwards destroy myself. I at last made up my mind to drown myself; I would rather die than live to be a slave” (Biography of Mahommah G. Baquaqua 46). Moore additionally addresses the hypocrisy of slave

owners, writing, “Let those humane individuals, who are in favor of slavery, only allow themselves to take the slave's position in the noisome hold of a slave ship, just for one trip from Africa to America, and without going into the horrors of slavery further than this, if they do not come out thorough-going abolitionists, then I have no more to say in favor of abolition” (Biography of Mahommah G. Baquaqua 43). Later in the text, Baquaqua undergoes a religious conversion, which also sends a message that supports the spread of Christianity.
Christianity played a large part in the lives of both Moore and Baquaqua.

Moore discussed the righteousness of Christianity and urged those who followed the religion to see the injustice of slavery, writing, “how can any one boasting of the religion of Jesus Christ, for one moment seek to uphold slavery as it is for a single day? No, it cannot be; the system of slavery and the doctrines of Christ are quite opposed to each other; no matter what the defenders of the system may say” (Biography of Mahommah G. Baquaqua 6). Baquaqua addresses Christianity as path to improving oneself or simply salvation, saying, “After my conversion to christianity I gave up drinking and all other kinds of vices” (Biography of Mahommah G. Baquaqua 58). Together, the two men discuss the positive values of their faith and inform the world of its

virtue.
The Biography of Mahommah G. Baquaqua supports both the emancipation of slaves and the spread of Christianity. Beyond the common man, were they targeting any specific group of people with this message, such as slave owners or literate enslaved people? During the time in which the book was published, did it see much attention or support from the general public, or was it only popularized later?