THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WEST AFRICAN LAND QUESTION

Hayford, Casely

Verlag: C.M. Phillips, London, 1913

Beschreibung

[8],203,[3],8pp. Half title. Original brown embossed publisher's cloth, gilt, borders ruled in blind, spine gilt. Light shelf wear, corners bumped, a bit of fraying at spine ends. Gift inscription on front free endpaper (see below). Very clean internally. Very good. A significant association copy, tying together three early African and African- American civil rights leaders, written by one of those leaders in opposition to the British Forest Bill of 1911. This copy is from John Wesley Cromwell's personal library with a gift inscription on the front free endpaper from the noted American journalist, historian, and Pan-African Nationalist, John Edward Bruce: "To my good friend John Wesley Cromwell, â old reliable' with best wishes, John E. Bruce â Grit', Yonkers, N.Y., 11/8/13." Above the inscription Cromwell wrote "Read it." The press notices at the back of the book include one credited to John Edward Bruce, which Cromwell bracketed and noted "Written by â J.W.C.'" in the margin. The British Forest Bill allowed management of uncultivated lands, defined by the British as "waste lands," in the Central and Western Provinces of the Gold Coast to rest with the British government. Casely Hayford, a native of the Cape Coast Colony (now Ghana), a member of the Pan-African Nationalist movement and a member of the bar who studied at the Inner Temple, argues here that "under Ghanaian customary law, all land even that which appears abandoned or uncultivated, remained under ownership and thus could not be ceded or occupied under the territorial acquisition rules of jus publicum Europaeum" (Yusuf). In his argument, Hayford promotes the agenda of the of the Pan-African Nationalist movement by standing against British imperial rule, arguing that the preservation of the indigenous land tenure system was vital to maintain the human rights and economic opportunity that existed for the people of the region prior to colonial rule. John Wesley Cromwell (1846-1927) was born into slavery in 1846, and used that experience to propel himself forward into a remarkable variety of influential public positions. He taught at several important African-American schools, became clerk of the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1867 and 1868; practiced as a lawyer and judge; was founding editor and later owner of THE PEOPLE'S ADVOCATE and was among the first wave of civil rights leaders. He was one of the founders of the Bethel Literary and Historical Society, an important African- American intellectual hub, and became its fourth president in 1883. Although Cromwell was not directly involved in the Pan-African Nationalist movement, he was very interested in the history and culture of African Diaspora, and it was through this and other mutual interests, that Cromwell built a long- lasting friendship with J. E. Bruce, the inscriber of the present volume. John Edward Bruce (1856-1924) was also born into slavery. While still a child, he and his mother escaped from Maryland to the District of Columbia, where they found shelter and protection from Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri. Through this relationship, Bruce was provided with educational opportunities and eventually graduated from Howard University. Through his Benton connections Bruce landed a job with the NEW YORK TIMES, and within a few years had founded three newspapers. His byline was "Bruce Grit." Bruce eventually became a columnist for newspapers in the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa, and was a vocal opponent of racial discrimination and a strong voice for African American advancement. His passion for African history eventually led him to form the Negro Society for Historical Research with Arthur Schomburg and take an active role in the Pan-Africa Nationalist Movement. Bruce created a network of African colleagues and friends through the Pan- African Nationalist movement and his work for the Negro Society for Historical Research, including Casely Hayford. Bruce's pride in his heri. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers WRCAM57866

Bibliografische Details

Titel: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WEST AFRICAN LAND ...

Verlag: C.M. Phillips, London

Erscheinungsdatum: 1913