Why Is Abina Important?

The story of Abina began on the Gold Coast of West Africa in 1876. She was enslaved in her youth and later was sold to Quamina Eddoo. He was an “important” man who had palm oil plantations. During that time, Britain established the Gold Coast Colony and Protectorate in the west part of the Asante Empire. In Britain, slavery was abolished. So, the same rules spread through the British colonies as well. However, slavery still existed in the British Gold Coast Colony and Protectorate. So, Abina decided to run away to Cape Coast in order to become free. She came to James Davis, another “important” man. He was an interpreter for the colonial courts, who desired to help her as much as he could. He helped her to bring her case to the court. Another “important” man was a judge, William Melton. Although he did not want slave owners to become angry with him, he agreed to review her case.

Usually, boys who earned a degree were from noble families. Their parents had opportunities to provide them quality education, which in the future helped them to hold high ranking jobs. James Hutton Brew was “the only one trained lawyer among the ‘important men’ with whom Abina interacted” (Getz and Clarke 111). He was an educated man, who had strong social bonds with other “important men.” He was able to influence the judge through his ability to get around all laws. Brew knew exactly on which factors the judge’s decision would be made and which language to use in the court. He convinced the magistrate that Abina was lying by asking her questions that she was not able to answer well enough due to her lack of knowledge and education. By humiliating her, he acquitted his defendant Quamina Eddoo and proved that he acted like a strict father to Abina. By Brew’s example, it can be concluded that education was one of the key factors, which helped men to become employed, and as a result, take places in the highest positions of