African-American history

The Lynching of Richard Dickerson and the Destruction of Black-Owned Businesses in Ohio, 1904

Richard Dickerson was an African American laborer living in Springfield, Ohio, whose lynching by a white mob on March 7, 1904 became the catalyst for further racial violence, including the targeted destruction of Black-owned businesses in the city’s “Levee”...

The Story of Eleanor Butler: A White Woman Enslaved for Marrying an Enslaved African in 1681

In colonial Maryland in 1681, a young Irish woman named Eleanor Butler, also known as Irish Nell, made a bold and controversial decision that would forever change her life. At just 16 years old, she defied societal norms by...

How the State of Alabama Criminalized Black Literacy with a $500 Fine in 1833

During the era of chattel slavery in the United States, Southern states actively suppressed the education of African Americans, both enslaved and free. Alabama, like many other states, recognized literacy as a potential threat to the institution of slavery....

How the Society of Jesus Sold 272 Enslaved Africans to Finance Their Missions in 1838

The Society of Jesus, known as the Jesuits, is a Catholic religious order renowned for its commitment to education, missionary work, and theological scholarship. However, their history includes a troubling chapter: the 1838 sale of 272 enslaved Africans to...

The Execution of Phillis: The Enslaved African Burnt at the Stake for Poisoning Her Abusive Enslaver

Phillis, was an enslaved African woman in colonial Massachusetts, who was executed by burning at the stake in 1755. Alongside her with another enslaved man, Mark, she was accused of poisoning her abusive enslaver, John Codman, in retaliation for...

William Gibbons: The African Who Was Enslaved by a Professor at the University of Virginia

William Gibbons, born around 1825 in Albemarle County, Virginia, was an African American who was enslaved by a professor at the University of Virginia.

Harry and Harriette Moore: The First Martyrs of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States

In 1951, Harry and Harriette, were killed in their home when a bomb detonated just under their bedroom. The first martyrs of the civil rights movement in the US

Charles Colcock Jones: The Slaveowner Who Used the Gospel to Keep Enslaved Africans Obedient

Charles Colcock Jones was a slaveholder, and missionary who dedicated his life to teaching the Christian gospel to enslaved people with the specific goal of making them more obedient and submissive.

How Formerly Enslaved African-Americans Placed Ads on Newspapers to Find Lost Family After Slavery

During slavery, it was common for families to be torn apart, with husbands, wives, children, and siblings sold to different plantations or regions of the country, sometimes never to see one another again. After gaining their freedom, many of...

Eli Cooper: The Black Man Lynched for “Speaking in a Manner Offensive to White People” in 1919

In the summer of 1919, a black man named Eli Cooper was lynched in Georgia for allegedly making statements that offended the white community. His words, seen as a threat to the racial hierarchy of the time, ultimately led...
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The Lynching of Richard Dickerson and the Destruction of Black-Owned Businesses in Ohio, 1904

Richard Dickerson was an African American laborer living in Springfield, Ohio, whose lynching by a white mob on March...