Sidi Mubarak Bombay (a.k.a. Mbarak Mombée, 1820?-1885)

Sidi Mubarak Bombay, one of the most extensive travelers in sub-Saharan Africa in the 19th century, was honored for his assistance to British explorers and adventurers. Bombay, of waYao/Bantu ethnicity, was born in the Ruvuma Region of southern Tanzania around 1820. Separated from his parents … Read MoreSidi Mubarak Bombay (a.k.a. Mbarak Mombée, 1820?-1885)

The Black Maroons of Florida (1693-1850)

The Black Maroons of Florida, also known as Black Seminoles, Seminole Maroons, and Seminole Freedmen, were a community derived from Runaway slaves who integrated into American Indian culture. They were mostly Gullah fugitives who escaped from the rice plantations in South Carolina and Georgia who … Read MoreThe Black Maroons of Florida (1693-1850)

Contraband Relief Association (1862-1865)

At the beginning of the Civil War, there were approximately two million enslaved women. An estimated 500,000 of these women fled from slavery as soon as white men left their plantations and homes to join the Confederate army. Those fleeing from slavery escaped to Union-occupied … Read MoreContraband Relief Association (1862-1865)

Blacks and the Texas Revolution (1835-1836)

As American settlers moved westward in the mid 19tth century they encountered the vast Mexican territory of Texas y Coahuila. Sparsely populated with fertile land, this Mexican territory was attractive to U.S. land speculators, southern plantation owners, and slave traders. Landowners could cultivate cotton, rice, … Read MoreBlacks and the Texas Revolution (1835-1836)