James Riley

Captain of the Commerce, authorOf “Sufferings in Africa”

May 1815

The “Commerce” began its

intended six month voyage

from Connecticut to New

Orleans, Gibraltar and the

Cape Verde Islands for

salt.

September 1815

The life raft landedat Cape Barbas. The remaining crew climbed thecliffs and weretaken into slavery by Oulad Bou Sbaa nomads.

Sept 21; Sidi Hamet

Riley met a newcomer to the friq and begged himfor water. Hamet was impressed that Rileytook water to Clark and agreed to take him 800 miles to Mogadore (now called Essaouira).

October 25; William Willshire

Hamet delivered Riley’sletter to the British Vice Consul to Mogadore, WilliamWillshire. He agreed to payHamet’s price of nine hundred and twenty hard dollars and twodouble barreled muskets.

Riley’s Book and Its Effect

Over one million copies of Sufferings were sold in the United States overa period of a few years after it was published in1817. President Lincoln read the book as a youngman.

Riley the Abolitionist

In a 1819 letter to Ohiogovernor Ethan AllenBrown, Riley said,“Men though coveredwith a black skin are notbrutes. The hypocritical advocate of slavery shallbe detested by allmankind.”

Forms of Memory

• Sufferings in Africa

• Sequel to Riley’s Narrative

• Skeletons on the Zahara

• Captain James Riley

• History Channel

• Planned movie (in 2010)

• Willshire, Ohio (2010 population 397)

Riley’s Story Post 9-11

“Two very different people. Two different religions. Two very different backgrounds that kind of found a common respect for each other.”

-James Willshire Riley, discussing the relationship between his ancestor, James Riley and Sidi Hamet

Riley’s Story Today

Dean King, the author of

Skeletons on the Zahara,

added a prologue that detailed

Sidi Hamet’s life before he met

Captain Riley. The prologue

detailed the dangers of the

lives of desert nomads.

Riley’s Letters

Captain Riley was a

prolific letter writer

for the cause of

abolition. Some of

his letters are at the

Ohio Historical

Society.

Bibliography

• Dean King, Skeletons on the Zahara. New York: Back Bay Books, 2004.

• McMurtry , R. Gerald. “The Influence of Riley's Narrative upon Abraham Lincoln.” Indiana Magazine of History (1934): Accessed April 18, 2013. http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/27786655?uid=3739656&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21102062072611

• Skeletons on the Sahara. Directed by David Keane. 2006. Los Angeles: History Channel, 2006. DVD.