Several months ago, friend Dan came across the word coffle and wondered if I was familiar with it; I was not. Somewhat appropriately, it rhymes with awful and lawful. It is derived from the Arabic qāfila, meaning caravan, and its first Known Use was in 1799.
He found the word in the article The Forgotten Supervillian of Antebellum Tennessee by Betsy Phillips. It is subtitled, “In a brutal business defined by cruelty, Isaac Franklin was perhaps the worst slave trader in all of cotton country—and the richest man in the south. Yet today his heinous crimes are long forgotten.”
The story begins:
The people of Nashville hear slave trader Isaac Franklin’s great annual parade of misery long before they see it. The rhythmic thud of 400 trudging feet carries quite a way. Then comes the sound of men singing, “Cut him down, cut him down, catch him if you can.”
There’s a river and a field and a few scattered houses between Nashville and Franklin’s coffle coming down Gallatin Pike, but once it crests the hill at what will one day be known as Eastland Avenue, everyone up on the bluff can see it. A great centipede of 200 men chained together at the waist, their hands locked behind their backs, marching toward Nashville. A hundred women and children follow behind in wagons, destined for sale. A man with a fiddle walks alongside the chained men, playing to keep them moving at the same speed.
The time is late August 1833.
Merriam-Webster defines coffle as “a train of slaves or animals fastened together.
The Wiktionary says: “A line of people or animals fastened together, especially a chain of prisoners or slaves.”
The Free Dictionary notes that the word takes the forms coffled and coffling.
The obvious observation is that slaves were no better than animals.
***
Scientific Racism: “Fictitious diseases that the medical community used to keep blacks enslaved.”
Oddly enough, ‘coffle’ is a word I am familiar with. I think it goes back to my reading of the Kyle Onstott Falconhurst books when I was in my horrible teens.
Roger, I had never heard this term until I read it here. The rhyme they repeated makes my blood run cold. Nothing more I can add, because the whole concept of slavery – the fact that there are people who think black people “did well” or whatever – makes me ill. Hard to hear God’s voice in that din. Amy
Ahhh it works again… back ‘bloghome’ it is 😉
This is a very new word for me.
A new and very unpleasant word to me.
Thanks for opening my eyes and sharing the excerpt for explanation.
A new word for me too. But what an ugl word.
How terribly uncivilized and cruel mankind can be – a new word and an eye opener for me.
I thought I read “coffee” so I was rather shocked to read this. I cannot believe the selfish and stupid people who treated men, women and children like this! “Coffle” is a word I would never use in my conversation. The entire image enrages me…sorry, Rog!
Leslie
abcw team
Unique and educational post for C ~ terrible history ~ what was done to black people and others is inhuman ~
Wishing you the best in each day. ~ ^_^
Yes new to me too.
Glad it is not in much use today.
Happy ABCW!
Calling by for ABC Wednesday, curious and fascinating.
No end to the cruelty of man coming up with even more horrendous ways to inflict pain.
What a stark reminder of those days, the word was new to me.
Ann
I knew of the demeaning practice of coffling slaves, but was not aware that there was a term for it. It was a dark place in our history, but one we must not forget, especially with all the hatred that’s been flying around from a couple of candidates during this election. Blessings!
A new word added to my vocabulary. I actually use lunarversary (I hope the spellings are not wrong) once I read it here…