Robert Norris (1740 - November 27, 1791) was a British navigator, slave trader, and amateur historian active in the mid-18th century. Norris spent some eighteen years in the 'African Trade', as the slave trade was politely called, working the coasts of west Africa as an employee of the Royal African Company and a slave ship captain. Today several of his ship logs survive. He is best known for his work Memoirs of the Reign of Bosa Ahdee, King of Dahomy, an Anglo-centric and pro-slavery but insightful account of the rise and fall of a major west African kingdom. Although Norris was both a participant in and an ardent advocate for the deplorable trade, his work represents significant first-hand reporting and a unique look into the interior of an African Kingdom that was impenetrable to most Europeans. Norris' work was continued by his friend and colleague, Archibald Dalzel, whose larger History of Dahomey is heavily dependent upon Norris' research. From 1780 through 1791 he, along with Archibald Dalzel (1740 - 1818) testified before parliament in support of the slave trade. In reviewing Norris' testimony, the level of blatant dishonesty is shocking. He describes slaves as well cared for on slave ships, even citing them playing musical instruments, singing, and gambling throughout the voyages. Norris died in Liverpool in 1791, it is said, from a cold he contracted while sleeping on a damp mattress during his return from providing pro-slave trade testimony before Parliament in London.



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