The Christened Mattresses

Overview of the Article

  • Title: "The Christened Mattresses: Euro-African Families in a Slave-Trading Town"

  • Author: Pernille Ipsen

  • Published in: The William and Mary Quarterly

  • Volume/Issue: Vol. 70, No. 2, April 2013, pp. 371-398

  • Publisher: Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture

  • URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5309/willmaryquar.70.2.0371

Introduction to Mulatresses

  • MULATRESSE Lene: Also known as Lene Kühberg.

  • Background: Grew up in a society deeply influenced by the Atlantic slave trade.

  • Parentage: Her name signifies being a daughter of a Ga woman and a Danish man.

  • Marriage: In the 1760s, she was cassaret (married) to Danish interim governor and slave trader Frantz Joachim Kühberg.

  • Residence: Lived in a European-style stone house in Osu (present-day Accra) on the Gold Coast.

  • Racial and cultural identity: Identified as Euro-African due to her heritage, clothing, and social standing.

Social and Economic Position of Euro-African Women

  • Intermediary Role: Euro-African women like Lene Kühberg played a crucial role in the West African slave trade as intermediaries and traders.

  • Trading Activities: Engaged in trading during and after marriage; possibly provided goods for others rather than directly trading.

  • Post-marriage Life: Following her husband’s death, Kühberg continued living in Osu, lending money and managing goods for fort employees.

  • Marital Flexibility: Evidence suggests she may have remarried or cohabitated with other European men.

  • Economic Advantage: Marriages to European slave traders provided economic leverage and social standing.

Cultural Practices and Relationships

  • Cultural Markers: Euro-African women, including Kühberg, adorned themselves with clothing and ornaments that marked their European connections (e.g., bells).

  • Socioeconomic Influence: Marrying into European families allowed them to expand their influence in society.

  • Education of Children: Euro-African women often ensured their children received education at the Danish fort, further integrating them into European culture.

Slave Trade Context and its Impact

  • Violent Environment: The Gold Coast was marked by violence due to the slave trade, creating a climate of instability.

  • Negotiation of Safety: Elite Euro-African families, such as Kühberg’s, navigated the dangers of the slave trade to protect their family against being enslaved themselves.

  • Pierre Bourdieu Perspective: The interaction between individuals and structures in the context of the slave trade created a framework in which Euro-African families operated.