Prince Among Slaves

30th Anniversary Edition

Prince Among Slaves tells the extraordinary true story of Abd Rahman Ibrahima, a West African prince whose life was forever changed when he was captured by rival tribesmen, sold into slavery, and transported to America.

In 1807, an Irish ship’s surgeon visiting a Mississippi market recognized the enslaved man as the son of the African king who had once saved his life. Known locally as "The Prince," Ibrahima had spent decades enslaved on a cotton and tobacco plantation near Natchez, Mississippi. Despite repeated attempts to purchase his freedom, his enslaver refused every offer.

After twenty-five years of determined advocacy, the surgeon finally secured Ibrahima’s release through the intervention of U.S. Secretary of State Henry Clay. At the age of sixty-six, Ibrahima returned to Africa with his wife, two sons, and several grandchildren, only to die of fever five months after arriving home.

Drawing on firsthand accounts and historical documents, Prince Among Slaves presents the first comprehensive biography of Abd Rahman Ibrahima. It is the remarkable story of a man who endured the brutality of slavery while never surrendering his dignity, faith, or hope for freedom.