Slavery in the US

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...

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...

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...

The Christmas Panic of 1765: How a Slave Revolt Rumor Disrupted Christmas in Charleston

In December 1765, Charleston, South Carolina, was thrown into chaos when rumors of an impending slave insurrection by enslaved Africans disrupted the city’s Christmas festivities. The fear of rebellion cast a shadow over the season’s celebrations, leaving white residents...

Louis Hughes: The Enslaved African American Who Was Bought as a Christmas Gift as a Child

Louis Hughes, was one of the many enslaved African Americans who experienced the horrors of slavery in the United States. Hughes’ story, recounted in his memoir Thirty Years a Slave, reveals the cruelty of a system that dehumanized African...

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”...

Memoirs of a Blind African Slave: The Remarkable Journey of Jeffrey Brace

Jeffrey Brace, originally known as Boyrereau Brinch, was born in West Africa in 1742 and led a peaceful life among his community until the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade changed his destiny forever. His memoir, The Blind African...

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...

Ten Years After Escaping, Frederick Douglass Wrote This Powerful Letter to His Former Enslaver

Frederick Douglass was one of the most influential African American leaders of the 19th century. Born into slavery in Maryland, he endured severe hardships but learned to read and write secretly—a skill that fueled his desire for freedom. In...
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The 1908 Springfield Race Riot That Unleashed Terror on African Americans

In August 1908, Springfield, Illinois, a city hailed as the home of Abraham Lincoln, erupted into a storm of...