Victoria Ann Shorey Francis (1898-1971)

Victoria Ann Shorey was one of the first African American female whalers in San Francisco, California. Shorey was born on August 1, 1898, in California, one of six children born to William Thomas Shorey, California’s only African American whaling captain, and Julia Ann (Shelton) Shorey, … Read MoreVictoria Ann Shorey Francis (1898-1971)

African Americans in the California Gold Rush (1848-1860)

The California Gold Rush, from 1848 to 1860, began after gold was discovered by carpenter and sawmill operator James W. Marshall on January 24, 1848. After Marshall’s discovery, thousands of people came to the goldfields in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Northern … Read MoreAfrican Americans in the California Gold Rush (1848-1860)