Shields Green, also known as “Emperor,” was one of the most enigmatic figures in the fight against slavery in the United States. An escaped slave from Charleston, South Carolina, Green became a close associate of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and...
Isaac Franklin and John Armfield were not just slave traders; they were industrialists of human misery and were the most influential and ruthless slave traders in the history of the United States. Operating in the 1820s and 1830s, they...
In September, 1855, the town of Franklin, Tennessee, was shaken by one of the most horrifying acts of cruelty ever recorded. A woman named Ellen Bordon, driven by jealousy over her husband’s attention to an enslaved Black woman in...
Elizabeth Greenfield, known as “The Black Swan,” was one of the most remarkable vocalists of the 19th century. Born into slavery in Natchez, Mississippi, sometime between 1808 and 1826, she overcame immense racial and social barriers to become the...
Throughout the history of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, many enslaved Africans were forced to live their lives without ever experiencing freedom. However, the innate human desire for self-determination remained unyielding, leading many to seek freedom through the Underground Railroad...
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...
Anna Maria Weems was a black teenager who escaped slavery in Maryland by disguising herself as a male carriage driver. At just 15, she fled her enslaver's home and traveled north, evading capture and enduring numerous challenges. After weeks...
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...
