People, Locations, Episodes

Ganga Zumba, Afro Brazilian Community Leader born

*The birth of Ganga Zumba is celebrated on this date in c 1630.  He was the first leader of the vast escaped Afro Brazilian slave settlement of Quilombo dos Palmares, or Angola Janga, in the present-day Alagoas, Brazil. Ganga Zumba is said to have been the son of princess Aqualtune, the daughter of an unknown […]

Johnson v. Parker is Decided

*On this date, in 1655, Johnson v. Parker was decided. This case involved the designation of indentured servitude and slavery. The Northampton County Court ruled in favor of Anthony Johnson, whose slave, John Casor, ran away and claimed to be an indentured servant. The court charged Johnson’s neighbor, Robert Parker, with having “most unjustly kept” […]

The Anti-Amalgamation Law is Passed

*On this date in 1664, Maryland passed the first Anti amalgamation law. This law was intended to prevent marriages between Black men and English women.

The Castillo de San Marcos Fort, a story

*The Castillo de San Marcos began construction on this date in 1672.  Built with Black African slaves and Native American labor, it is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States.  Still standing, it is located on the western shore of Matanzas Bay in the city of St. Augustine, Florida.  The city of St. Augustine was founded for the Spanish Crown in 1565 on the site […]

Louis de St. Denis, Soldier and Slave Owner born.

*Louis de St. Denis was born on this date in 1676. He was a white-French Canadian soldier, slave owner, and explorer. Louis Antoine Juchereau de St. Denis was born in Beauport, New France (Quebec), the eleventh of the twelve children. His father was Nicolas Juchereau, Seigneur du Chesnay. His mother, Marie Thérèse Giffard de Beauport. […]

Abolitionists in the United States of America, a story

*On this date, in 1688, the Registry shares an article on Abolitionists and the formal beginning of organized group Abolitionism in America.  This movement sought to end slavery in the United States and was active both before and during the American Civil War. In the Americas and Western Europe, abolitionism was a movement that sought to end the Middle Passage (Atlantic […]

Kingston, Jamaica is Founded

Kingston Jamaica was founded on this date in 1692. It is the capital and chief port of Jamaica, an island nation in the West Indies. Kingston lies on the southeast coast of Jamaica, at the northern end of a nearly landlocked harbor.

The Komenda Wars Begin

*The beginning of the Komenda Wars is affirmed on this date in 1694. These wars lasted until 1700, largely between the Dutch West India Company and the British Royal African Company in the Eguafo Kingdom in the present-day state of Ghana, over trade rights. The Dutch were trying to keep the British out of the region to maintain […]

Abram Hannibal, Military General born

On this date we celebrate the birth of Abram Hannibal in 1697. He was an African slave who became a successfull general and military engineer in Russia.

The Black Guard of Morocco, a story

*The Black Guard is affirmed on this date in 1699. They were the corps of Black African slaves and slave soldiers assembled by the ‘Alawi sultan of Morocco, Isma’il ibn Sharif. Isma’il ruled for 55 years between 1672 and 1727, one of the longest reigns in Moroccan history. He distinguished himself as a ruler who wished […]

The ‘For The Trial of Negros’ Act is signed

*The ‘For the Trial of Negroes’ Act was passed on this date in 1700. This colonial law was passed to socialize and control black Africans in Delaware. This policy marked 150 years of discriminatory legislation to preserve chattel slavery in America. Blacks received more severe penalties than whites for crimes; they couldn’t carry weapons or assemble in […]

John Witherspoon, Slave Owner, and Minister born

*John Witherspoon was born on this date in 1723.  He was a white-Scottish American slave owner, a Presbyterian minister, and a Founding Father of the United States. John Witherspoon was born in Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland, as the eldest child of the Reverend James Alexander Witherspoon and Anne Walker, a descendant of John Welsh of […]

Crispus Attucks, American Patriot born

On this date in 1723, we celebrate the birth of Crispus Attucks. He was a Black merchant and patriot.

Little is known about the early years of Attucks. He was born a slave around in the (then) colony of Massachusetts. His father, Prince Yonger, was African and his mother, Nancy Attucks, was an Indian and possible descendant of John Attucks, a member of the Natick Indian tribe. John Attucks was executed for treason in 1676 during the King Philip War. The word “attuck” in the Natick language means deer.

George Middleton, Patriot born

*On this date, we celebrate the birth of George Middleton c1735.  He was a Black patriot, Freemason, and colonial rights activist.   Very little is known of his childhood and family. He was an early member of the African Lodge, later known as the Prince Hall Masons, and he was the third Grand Master of that group. Middleton married Elsey […]

Joseph Louis Cook, Patriot born

*The birth of Joseph Louis Cook is celebrated on this date in c 1737. He was a Black African Native American (Mohawk) American colonial leader.   Joseph Louis Cook, or Akiatonharónkwen, was born in Quebec, Canada.  He was the son of an African father and an Abenaki mother.  He and his mother moved to a […]