History

Posey County’s 1878 Lynchings: The Largest Reported Lynching in Indiana’s History

On October 11, 1878, Posey County, Indiana, near the town of Mount Vernon, became the site of the largest reported lynching in the state’s history when a white mob brutally lynched Jim Good, Jeff Hopkins, Ed Warner, William Chambers,...

John Berry Meachum: The Abolitionist Who Built a Floating School to Defy Anti-Black Literacy Laws

In the early 19th century, a remarkable figure emerged in the fight against oppression and systemic racism in the United States. John Berry Meachum, a freed African reverend, educator, abolitionist and entrepreneur, defied the odds and built a legacy...

Ned: The Black Inventor Who Couldn’t Own His Creation Due to Racist Patent Laws

Ned was an enslaved African owned by Oscar J.E. Stuart, a lawyer and planter from Mississippi, known for inventing the innovative “double plow and scraper." Despite the practical importance of the invention, Ned could not patent it due to...

Berry Washington: The African American Lynched in 1919 for Saving Two Girls from a White Attacker

Berry Washington, an elderly African American man in his seventies, became a tragic symbol of racial injustice when he was lynched in Milan, Georgia, on May 26, 1919. His crime? Defending two young Black girls from a violent assault...

The Jesuits and Their Involvement in Slavery in the 18th Century

Every generation of humans somehow figured out ways to make God in their image. The heart of man is desperately wicked, and what better way to justify this than to have God on his side. In God's name, everything...

Abu al-Misk Kafur: The Freed African Slave Who Ruled Egypt and Parts of Syria from 946 to 968

Abu al-Misk Kafur, born in 905, was a black eunuch and freed slave who ascended to the highest echelons of power, ruling Egypt and parts of Syria as the de facto ruler from 946 until his death in 968. Kafur’s...

Jermain Loguen: The Man Who Insulted His Former Enslaver in a Published Letter for Demanding Compensation

In March 1860, Rev. Jermain Wesley Loguen, a formerly enslaved man turned abolitionist, received a shocking letter from Sarah Logue, the wife of his former enslaver. In the letter, Sarah demanded that Loguen either return to her as a...

Freedom’s Eve: How African Americans Celebrated New Year’s Eve in 1862 in Anticipation of Their Emancipation

On December 31, 1862, African Americans across the United States gathered in churches, homes, and secret meeting places, anxiously awaiting the dawn of a new year. This night, known as Freedom’s Eve, was unlike any other in American history....

Ona Judge: The Enslaved Girl Who Escaped from President George Washington’s Household in 1796

Ona Judge Staines, also known as Oney Judge, was an enslaved woman who famously escaped the household of the first president of the United States, George Washington, and became a symbol of resistance against slavery. Ona Judge was born around...

The Slave Experience of Christmas

The Christmas holiday, a time typically associated with joy and festivity, held a complex and multifaceted significance for enslaved Africans across the Americas and the Caribbean. While some slaves embraced the brief moments of relaxation and celebration, others saw...
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Stockmen Trade: The 19th Century Practice of Renting Enslaved Men to Plantation Owners for Breeding in America

The 19th century in the United States was marked by the brutal and dehumanizing institution of slavery, which included...
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