Abolitionist Brooklyn (1828 – 1849)

…The national conventions met a total of twelve times between 1831 and 1864. Abolitionism in Black and White “The Liberator Commenced January 1st 1831.” Cotton banner by unknown maker, [1840s]. Massachusetts Historical Society. Teacher’s Manual Section 2: Lesson 7 | Lesson 8 In the 1830s, the abolitionists, a group of humanitarian reformers, burst onto the political scene in the United States. On December 4, 1833, sixty-two reformers m…

Crisis Decade (1850 – 1860)

…ehouses. One of the major commodities stored at the Pierrepont warehouses was sugar. Havemeyer and Elder Sugar Refinery. Atlantic Publishing and Engraving Company. ca. 1870. M1979.1.1. Brooklyn Historical Society. Teacher’s Manual Section 4: Lesson 13 A generation of Brooklyn industrialists, including the Pierrepont and Havemeyer families profited from the nation’s sweet tooth. In 1807, William Havemeyer, a German immigrant, opened a sugar refini…

Timeline

…over of Constitution of the Brooklyn African Woolman Benevolent Society] adopted March 16, 1810, published in 1820 by E. Worthington. Negative #85470d. Collection of The New-York Historical Society. Teacher’s Manual Section 1: Lesson 6 A small, but significant, free black community lived in the areas now known as DUMBO and Vinegar Hill. They pioneered Brooklyn’s anti-slavery movement through grassroots efforts. In 1810, Brooklynites Peter Croger,…

A Gradual Emancipation (1783 – 1827)

…over of Constitution of the Brooklyn African Woolman Benevolent Society] adopted March 16, 1810, published in 1820 by E. Worthington. Negative #85470d. Collection of The New-York Historical Society. Teacher’s Manual Section 1: Lesson 6 A small, but significant, free black community lived in the areas now known as DUMBO and Vinegar Hill. They pioneered Brooklyn’s anti-slavery movement through grassroots efforts. In 1810, Brooklynites Peter Croger,…

Abolitionist Biographies

…avery Activist, homeowner, businessman, downtown Brooklyn resident. Robert Cousins was born in Virginia around 1800 and moved to Brooklyn in 1840. There, he joined the AME Church and the Brooklyn African Tompkins Society, a mutual aid organization committed to the “improvement of the members in morals and literature, by forming a library and other appropriate means.” By 1850, Cousins, his wife Sarah, and their children Emaly, Charles, and Joseph…

Civil War & Beyond (1861 – 1867)

…2, 1861, the attack on Fort Sumter marked the start of the Civil War. But conflict was not confined to the battlefields alone. By 1860, Brooklyn was the third largest city in the United States. It was home to a culturally diverse society including people of Dutch, English and African. There were also increasing numbers of German and Irish immigrants. The Irish and Black communities were among the most marginalized in American society. They often…

Games

…slaveholders regularly placed advertisements for the capture of “runaways” in local newspapers. From the early 1800s on, African-Americans built strong communities with the intention of combating slavery and its legacy. A group of political reformers, known as abolitionists and anti-slavery activists, worked together to agitate for the end of slavery. These men and women, both black and white, advocated for the immediate emancipation of all ensla…

Walking Tours

…on. One year later, free black New Yorkers took advantage of low property prices to intentionally establish the community of Weeksville as a self-sufficient haven for African Americans. Located in Brooklyn’s ninth ward, Weeksville was the most distant and secluded anti-slavery base from the city’s downtown area, thus it offered safety, refuge, and freedom to its residents. ↗ Open map in new window WILLIAMSBURG In recent years, Williamsburg has ex…