Claudia Sutherland

Independent Historian

Claudia E. Sutherland is a 2009 graduate of the University of Washington and is a legal assistant specializing in debtor-creditor work. While working as legal assistant, Claudia developed a passion for helping people get a financial fresh start that they sorely need. She hopes to continue to her interests in consumer law and bankruptcy law by attending law school. While she studied at the University of Washington her interests included Pacific Northwest history, labor history and 20^th century U.S. history.

Stono Rebellion (1739)

On Sunday, September 9th, 1739 the British colony of South Carolina was shaken by a slave uprising that culminated with the death of sixty people. Led by an Angolan named Jemmy, a band of twenty slaves organized a rebellion on the banks of the Stono River. After breaking into Hutchinson’s store the band, … Read MoreStono Rebellion (1739)

Julia Amanda Perry (1924-1979)

Image Ownership: Public Domain Julia Amanda Perry was a prolific composer of neoclassical music during her relatively brief life. Born on March 25, 1924 in Lexington Kentucky, she spent most of her early years in Akron, Ohio. Her father, Dr. Abe Perry, was a doctor … Read MoreJulia Amanda Perry (1924-1979)

Phillippa Duke Schuyler (1931-1967)

Schuyler Parents Kissing Phillippa After Performance, Late 1940 Image Ownership: Public Domain Phillippa Duke Schuyler was a child pianist, composer, and later journalist. Schuyler, born August 2, 1931, grew up in Harlem, and was the only child of George S. Schuyler, a prominent black journalist, … Read MorePhillippa Duke Schuyler (1931-1967)

Shirley Verrett (1931-2010)

Shirley Verrett was a distinguished mezzo-soprano and soprano opera singer. Born in New Orleans on May 31, 1931, one of five children to strict Seventh Day Adventists, her father was a successful building contractor. She came from a musical family, her mother often sang in … Read MoreShirley Verrett (1931-2010)

Gary Franks (1953- )

When Gary Franks was elected to Congress in 1990, he was the first black representative from Connecticut and the first black Republican in Congress in nearly 50 years. Son of a brass factory worker and a dietary specialist, education was a high priority in Franks’s … Read MoreGary Franks (1953- )

Haitian Revolution (1791-1804)

The Haitian Revolution has often been described as the largest and most successful slave rebellion in the Western Hemisphere. Slaves initiated the rebellion in 1791 and by 1803 they had succeeded in ending not just slavery but French control over the colony. The Haitian Revolution, … Read MoreHaitian Revolution (1791-1804)

Denmark Vesey Conspiracy of 1822

After one loyal slave told his master about a plot to seize the city of Charlestown, South Carolina and kill all the whites, local authorities exposed the most comprehensive slave plot in the history of the United States. More than 1,000 free and enslaved blacks … Read MoreDenmark Vesey Conspiracy of 1822

Jane Bolin (1908-2007)

Jane Bolin was the first black woman graduate of Yale Law School and the first black female judge in the United States. Bolin was born in Poughkeepsie, New York on April 11, 1908. From her earliest days in her father’s law office, Bolin knew she … Read MoreJane Bolin (1908-2007)

Meta Warrick Fuller (1877-1968)

Meta Warrick Fuller was a black female artist who specialized in sculpture. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1877, her career peaked during America’s Gilded Age, a time when more women were trained as artists than ever before. She attended the Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial … Read MoreMeta Warrick Fuller (1877-1968)

New York Slave Conspiracy (1741)

The New York Slave Conspiracy of 1741 is an extraordinarily complex story. Some historians have dismissed the idea that slaves actually conspired to overthrow chattel bondage and gain their freedom, while others have argued that the events in New York were part of a mixed … Read MoreNew York Slave Conspiracy (1741)