William Still, was a very important figure in the abolitionist movement in the United States. Known as the "Father of the Underground Railroad," Still played a crucial role in aiding and assisting at least 649 enslaved Africans escape to...
On August 23, 1828, Annice became the first enslaved woman known to be executed in Missouri. She was hanged for the murder of five children—including two of her own—whom she drowned in a desperate act of defiance against slavery....
John Punch, born around 1605 in Angola, holds a significant place in American history as the first person in British colonial America to be legally sentenced to lifelong servitude as punishment for a "crime". His case, decided in 1640...
James Meredith is a civil rights activist, writer, and U.S. Air Force veteran best known for integrating the University of Mississippi in 1962, an act that sparked a deadly riot and forced the U.S. government to deploy thousands of...
Calvin Smith was a wealthy American planter in the antebellum South who operated a notorious slave breeding farm. His plantation was infamous for its focus on breeding biracial children, or mulattoes, who were often sold at higher prices than...
George Case was a British slave trader, businessman, and politician who played a key role in Liverpool’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. He was responsible for at least 109 slave voyages, transporting thousands of enslaved Africans to the...
Tarrafal Concentration Camp, also known as the “Camp of Slow Death,” was one of Portugal’s most infamous colonial prisons. Located in the village of Chão Bom on the island of Santiago in Cape Verde, Africa, it was established in...
Sissieretta Jones, also known as the “Black Patti,” was a renowned African American soprano and the highest-paid Black performer of the late 19th century. Trained in classical music, she captivated audiences from the White House to the grand stages...
The Wiriyamu Massacre, also known as Operation Marosca, was a mass killing of civilians carried out by Portuguese soldiers in December 1972 in the village of Wiriyamu, located in Mozambique’s Tete Province. The massacre was part of Portugal’s brutal...
Tom Molineaux was an African American boxer who rose from slavery to become one of the most celebrated boxer of his time. Known for his strength and skill, he gained his freedom through boxing and became famous for his...