A West African prince was enslaved in Mississippi for four decades before his liberation.

Science · Published 20 October 2026 · Updated 22 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Captured in 1788, Abdul Rahman Ibrahima Sori was a Fula commander who survived forty years of enslavement in Natchez. His remarkable journey from a royal upbringing in Guinea to a Mississippi plantation, and eventually to a diplomatic intervention involving the U.S. President, remains a singular story of resilience and identity.

Born in 1762 in Timbuktu, Abdul Rahman was the son of Ibrahima Sori, the leader who consolidated the Islamic confederation of Fouta Djallon. Educated in madrasas and fluent in four African languages plus Arabic, Abdul Rahman served as a regimental commander. In 1788, while leading 2,000 cavalry troops against the Hebohs, he was ambushed, captured, and sold into the Atlantic slave trade for a small collection of goods, including rum and tobacco. Transported to Natchez, Mississippi, he was sold to Thomas Foster for approximately $950.

For thirty-eight years, Abdul Rahman labored on Foster’s plantation, where his status as a prince was recognized by his enslaver. His life took an unexpected turn in 1807 when he encountered Dr. John Coates Cox at a local market. Years earlier, Cox had been rescued and hosted by Abdul Rahman’s family in Timbo after being abandoned by his ship. Despite Cox’s repeated attempts to purchase and free him, Foster refused, viewing the prince as essential to managing the plantation’s enslaved workforce. It was not until 1826 that a letter written by Abdul Rahman in Arabic reached the Sultan of Morocco, prompting diplomatic pressure from the U.S. government.

Freed in 1828, Abdul Rahman toured northern cities to raise funds to liberate his family, often tailoring his presentation to his audience—promising trade to merchants and evangelism to missionaries. Despite these efforts, he and his wife Isabella departed for Liberia in 1829 with only a fraction of the $10,000 needed to free their children. Upon arriving in Africa, he returned to the practice of Islam, having previously maintained his faith while navigating the complexities of American plantation life. He died of yellow fever on July 6, 1829, at about 67 years old, never reuniting with his remaining children in Mississippi.

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