#45 Gripping story of slave-to-preacher

Could John Jea be your ancestor?

This provocative story is not for the faint of heart. John Jea was born in 1773. He describes the horrors of the near starvation and awful beatings.

He was a young man from Old Callabar, a place in Nigeria, Africa.

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Calabar, formerly Old Calabar, town and port, capital of Cross River state, southeastern Nigeria. It lies along the Calabar River, 5 miles (8 km) upstream from that river’s entrance into the Cross River estuary. Source: www.britannica.com

The author likely came from a proud status in his country. Yet, his unasked-for slave status in the United States produced a different result that he ever imagined.

King Duke of Calabar, 1895.

Someone may be able to link their heritage to John Jea. By listing his parents and describing where he was enslaved and travels in the United States, the opportunities increase for African American family researchers to link with him.

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