***************************************************************** Note: Fiscal year of AAM is October 1 - September 30. *** Subscriptions for 2006/07 Membership are now due!!!! Join African Association of Madison, Inc. for $25 per year Mail check to: AAM, PO Box 1016, Madison, WI 53701 Phone: 608-258-0261 -- Email: [log in to unmask] Web: www.AfricanAssociation.org ***************************************************************** Happy New year everybody. I felt this is an added resource information for students of African History. Note that the now popular Benin Massacre happened during the annual Ague Festival when the Oba of Benin can not receive or be seen by any visitor. Ade Iyi-Eweka Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 13:01:40 +0100 January in Edo kingdom's history > January 1 1897 Lieutenant James R. Phillip (RN), the acting commissioner and consul-General of the Niger Coast Protectorate, in company of six British trading agents: Clarke Crawford, Kenneth Campbell, Arthur Maling, Harris Powis, Thomas Gordon and Locke, a medical doctor; Dr. Robert Elliott, and Hubert Clarke, an interpreter of mixed race, arrived in Sapele onwards to Benin City. Philips expedition was escorted by some 250 black African soldiers of the Niger Coast Protectorate Force under the command of Captain Alan Maxwell Boisragon. Two prominent Itsekiri trading chiefs, Dore and Dudu, plead with him not to press ahead to Benin, and when Phillip brushed aside their entreaties that evening they sent a messenger to Benin City to inform the Omo n'Oba Ovenramwen that the white man was bringing war. January 1 1911 Benin prison is formally put to use by the British colonial Authorities January 2 1897 Phillip and his invading force left Sapele on an extraordinary expedition that was the first of its kind in British colonial history. His missions, yet to be approved by his superiors in London, was the abduction of Omo n'Oba Ovenramwen and replace him with a `Native Council'. Phillips had hoped to offset the cost of the operation with the `Ivory' he expected to find in his victim's palace. January 3 1897 Phillip and his marauders arrived in Ughoton (Gwato), and the ohenolokun, priest of Olokun and head of the town, who assumed that the invaders were on a trade mission, formally received them by ordering the washing of the British men feet. It was a practice that was given to Europeans traders since the 16th century. January 4 1897 Phillip's expedition was surprised and annihilated at Ugbine a village just east of Ughoton Benin Benin emergency strike force composed mostly of personal retainers and servants of some ekhaemwen notably Aiyobahan, Ehondor, Ehanire, Ihaza, Inneh, Obaseki, Obanor and Osague, which was commanded ologbose Irabor. The ologbose and his lieutenants were acting strictly on the orders of the commander in chief of all Benin army, Iyase Okizi Only two white men and few of the African soldiers escaped this Benin military victory, which interestingly historians and experts of African history prefer to refer to as the `Benin Massacre'. January 4 1914 Omo n'Oba Ovenramwen n'ogbaisi after 17 year in exile Calabar joined his ancestors January 9 1925 Oloi Iyare is found in Ughara-Efe. In late 1924 a petition was sent to the British colonial authorities that Omo n'Oba Eweka II had murdered oloi Iyare, one of his wives. The British authorities gave Omo n'Oba Eweka II, an ultimatum to produce the woman or face the consequences. With the help of medicine men from Evbohimwin, the woman was found in Ughara-Efe living with an Urhobo man. This incidence and another subsequent on forced Omo n'Oba Eweka II to give up some Edo and palace rituals and festivities. January 10 1897 An urgent telegram was dispatched from the British Colony of Lagos to the British Foreign Office in London. The telegram claim that, the acting commissioner and Consul General of the Niger Coast Protectorate, lieutenant James R. Phillip (RN), some British traders including their African porters, on a peaceful trade and political mission to Benin City, had been ambushed by a group of Benin chiefs at Ugbine on January 4 1897. The telegram further claimed The British men, were taken to Benin City and sacrificed to the gods of the Benin king. In response to this incident, which became universally known as the `Benin massacre', the British government `promptly' declared war on the kingdom of Benin. January 1925 Slavery was formally abolished in the territories of the former Benin Empire January 1934 Omo n'Oba Akenzua II visited Lagos for the opening of Yaba Higher College (Yaba college of Technology) Okpame Edward Oronsaye [log in to unmask] _________________________________________________________________ Type your favorite song. Get a customized station. Try MSN Radio powered by Pandora. http://radio.msn.com/?icid=T002MSN03A07001 *** Send email to the list: [log in to unmask] *** *** Access AAM list archives: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/AAM.html ***