Scipio Vaughan facts for kids

Scipio Vaughan (1784–1840) was an African-American artisan and a person who was enslaved. He inspired a special movement for his children and grandchildren. This movement encouraged them to connect with their family roots in Africa, especially with the Yoruba people of West Africa.

Scipio Vaughan gained his freedom later in life. He spent his final years in the United States. He started this "back to Africa" idea with his family. Today, Scipio's many descendants live all over the world. They are found in countries like Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Ghana in Africa. They also live in Jamaica, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Scipio Vaughan's Early Life and Skills

Scipio Vaughan was born in 1784 in the Owu kingdom of Abeokuta. This area is part of Yorubaland in Africa. In 1805, he was captured by European slave traders. He was taken to the Velekete Slave Market in Badagry, Nigeria. This was a major place where people were sold into slavery.

From Badagry, Scipio was forced onto a slave ship. He was taken across the ocean to America. He ended up in Charleston, South Carolina, and then in Camden. There, he was sold to a man named Wiley Vaughan. Following the custom of the time, he took his owner's last name, becoming Scipio Vaughan.

Scipio was very skilled at working with iron. He was known as a talented artisan. He made beautiful iron gates and fences. His master, Wiley Vaughan, valued his amazing skills. When Wiley Vaughan died, he freed Scipio in his will. He also gave Scipio his tools and one hundred dollars. In 1827, Scipio Vaughan became a free man and stayed free for the rest of his life.

Scipio's Family Life

In 1815, Scipio Vaughan married Maria Theresa Louisa Matilda Conway. Maria was of Native American descent. Her father, Bonds Conway, was an important person in Camden. He was the first free Black man in Camden. Bonds Conway was also a successful businessman and owned land.

Scipio and Maria had nine children together. They had seven daughters and two sons. All their children were born in South Carolina. Their children included Burrell Churchill Vaughan (born 1816) and James Churchill Vaughan (born 1828).

The "Back-to-Africa" Movement

When Scipio Vaughan was dying in 1840, he made a special request. He asked his sons to return to his homeland, Yorubaland in Africa. Scipio likely wanted his family to reconnect with their African roots. He hoped they could regain some of the pride and strength that was lost due to the slave trade.

Journey to Africa

To honor their father's wish, his sons, James Churchill Vaughan and Burrell Vaughan, decided to go to Africa. In 1852, they joined the American Colonization Society. This group helped Black Americans move to Liberia in Africa. The brothers also wanted to escape the unfair laws against Black people in America.

They sailed to Liberia in 1853. They lived there for two years. Then, they accepted a job offer to go to Yorubaland in 1855. They went with a missionary named Thomas Jefferson Bowen. Their job was to help spread the Baptist religion. They arrived in Nigeria in 1854 and began working as builders in Ijaye in 1855.

James Churchill Vaughan's Life in Nigeria

During a war, James Churchill Vaughan was captured. He managed to escape and found safety in Abeokuta. He even became a military sharpshooter. In 1867, missionaries were forced to leave Abeokuta. James and other Christians moved to Lagos.

In Lagos, James built a very successful hardware business. He became a wealthy and respected merchant. He also played a big role in establishing the Ebenezer Baptist Church in 1888. This was the first independent church in West Africa. James stayed in touch with his family in America. He even visited South Carolina before he passed away in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1893.

Scipio Vaughan's descendants became important people. They included politicians, business owners, teachers, doctors, and lawyers. The Vaughan families in Nigeria and the United States have stayed connected for many years.

Nigerian Family Line

Many notable Nigerians are descendants of Scipio Vaughan. These include:

• Dr. James C. Vaughan Jr., a Nigerian nationalist.
• Kofoworola, Lady Ademola, an important educationist and royal. She was married to Nigeria's chief justice, Sir Adetokunbo Ademola.

James Churchill Vaughan's daughter, Aida Arabella Vaughan Moore, married Eric Olawolu Moore. He was a well-known lawyer in Lagos. Their children included Kofoworola, Lady Ademola, and Oloye Oladipo Moore. Oladipo Moore was also a famous lawyer. His wife, Aduke Moore, worked for Mobil Oil and later represented Nigeria at the United Nations.

James Churchill Vaughan Sr.'s first son, James Wilson Vaughan, had five children. One of them was Dr. James Churchhill Vaughan Jr., a famous doctor and activist in Lagos. Another descendant is the filmmaker Remi Vaughan-Richards.

American Family Line

Scipio Vaughan's daughter, Mary Elizabeth Vaughan Mac Laughlin (1838-1863), stayed in the United States. She had one child, Harriet Josephine Mac Laughlin Carter (1856-1917). Harriet had 12 children.

One of Harriet's children was Aida Arabella Stradford. She married Cornelius Francis Stradford, a famous lawyer and activist in Chicago. Aida Arabella Stradford was key to keeping the family history alive in the United States. She had three children, including Jewel Lafontant-Mankarious.

Jewel Lafontant-Mankarious (1922-1997) was a very important woman. She was the first woman to earn a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. In 1973, the U.S. President appointed her to a high position. She became the first woman to be Deputy Solicitor General in the Justice Department. Jewel's son is the American businessman John W. Rogers Jr..

Family Reunions

The American branch of the Vaughan family began to search for their African heritage. They wanted to reunite with their relatives in Africa. The first big family reunion was planned in August 1970. Family members met in Pittsburgh and decided to hold annual reunions.

They studied family records and old documents. The Nigerian and American Vaughan families have stayed in touch for many decades. Today, the American Vaughans are a large network of over 3,000 cousins. They live in more than 22 states and are connected with their Nigerian cousins. The American cousins have traced eight main family lines from the daughters who stayed in the United States. These lines include the Barnes, Brevard, Bufford, Cauthen, McGriff, Peay, Truesdale, and Vaughan families.