Francis Moore (geographer) facts for kids
Francis Moore was a British writer who lived in the 1700s. He was born in Worcester, England, around 1708. We don't know much about his early life. He became famous after writing a book called Travels into the Inland Parts of Africa in 1738. This book was very important. A person named Thomas Clarkson, who worked to end slavery, said Moore's writings helped him fight against it. Moore likely died sometime after 1756.
Contents
Exploring Africa: A Journey Along the Gambia River
In 1730, Francis Moore started working for the Royal African Company. He was a clerk, which is like an office worker. He sailed to the company's trading post on the Gambia River in July of that year. He stayed in the region until April 1735. During this time, he also worked as a company agent.
Moore was one of the first English people to travel deep into Africa. He visited many towns and trading posts. These places were along the Gambia River, from its start to the Guinea Highlands. This was hundreds of miles inland.
Moore's Book: Travels Into the Inland Parts of Africa
Moore wrote about his experiences in his book, Travels Into the Inland Parts of Africa. This book describes the land and cultures of the region in great detail. It shows what the area was like before the Atlantic slave trade grew much larger. That trade later caused many people to be taken away and harmed the economy.
Moore's book and another one by Richard Jobson were the only detailed accounts of Gambia. This was before the time when European countries took control of many parts of Africa. Parts of Moore's book were later published in other collections. These included The World Displayed (1740) and A New General Collection of Voyages and Travels (1745).
Meeting Job ben Solomon
Francis Moore wrote about the story of Job ben Solomon in his book. Job ben Solomon was also known as Ayuba Suleiman Diallo. He was an important African man who was captured by slave traders in 1730. Moore recorded this event.
Job was forced into slavery in Maryland, America. In 1733, he was sent to England. This happened after James Oglethorpe received a letter from him and bought his freedom. Job became well-known and respected in London. Later, he returned to the Gambia. There, he met Francis Moore again.
Life in the Georgia Colony
In November 1735, Moore sailed to the Province of Georgia. This was only four months after he returned to England from Gambia. He traveled with James Oglethorpe and over 200 other settlers. Oglethorpe had founded the Georgia colony in 1733. Also on this trip were John and Charles Wesley, who were brothers and newly ordained ministers.
Moore worked as Oglethorpe's secretary. He also managed the supplies at Fort Frederica. This fort was on the southern edge of the Georgia colony. Moore stayed in the colony until 1743. He visited England once before returning there for good in the same year as Oglethorpe.
Moore's Book: A Voyage to Georgia
Moore wrote about his early observations in the colony in a book called A Voyage to Georgia. This book gives very detailed information about the Oglethorpe Plan. This plan was how the Georgia colony was set up and managed.
Moore's book about Georgia does not mention Oglethorpe's growing ideas against slavery. However, it is likely that Moore and Oglethorpe talked a lot about Africa and the slave trade. These discussions might have helped shape Oglethorpe's views on slavery.
