The Hidden Stories of African Americans in New York City: Unveiling Historical Studies of Urban America (1626-1863)

New York City, often called the "Big Apple," is renowned for its multicultural and diverse society. While the city has been a melting pot for immigrants from around the world, the historical presence and contributions of African Americans are often overlooked. From early colonization to the Civil War era, African Americans played a significant role in shaping the city's culture, politics, and economy. This article aims to explore the rich and untold stories of the African American community in New York City from 1626 to 1863, shedding light on their struggles, achievements, and impact on urban America.

The Arrival of African Americans in New York City (1626-1776)

Contrary to popular belief, African Americans have a long and deep-rooted history in New York City. Their presence dates back to the city's early colonial period when Europeans started to establish settlements in the 17th century. The first recorded African Americans arrived as enslaved individuals in 1626, when New York City was known as New Amsterdam under Dutch rule.

As New York City transitioned between Dutch, British, and American rule, the population of African Americans grew steadily. By 1776, when the United States declared its independence, African Americans constituted a sizable portion of New York City's population, serving in various capacities, including as laborers, artisans, domestic servants, and sailors.

In the Shadow of Slavery: African Americans in New York City, 1626-1863 (Historical Studies of Urban America)

by Leslie M. Harris(Kindle Edition)

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	4929 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	387 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE

African Americans in Revolutionary New York (1775-1783)

The American Revolutionary War presented a unique opportunity for African Americans to challenge the institution of slavery and fight for their own freedom. Many African Americans, both free and enslaved, joined the Continental Army or served as spies, cooks, and laborers, making significant contributions to the war effort and shaping the outcome of the conflict.

However, despite their involvement in the revolutionary cause, African Americans faced socio-political challenges during this period. The northern states, including New York, gradually abolished slavery, yet racial discrimination and inequality persisted, limiting African Americans' access to education, employment, and political rights.

The Abolitionist Movement and African Americans in Antebellum New York (1820-1860)

As the antebellum period unfolded, New York City became a center of the abolitionist movement, advocating for the immediate emancipation of enslaved African Americans. The African American community in the city played a significant role in shaping public opinion through newspapers, speeches, and other forms of activism.

Leading figures such as David Ruggles, Sojourner Truth, and Frederick Douglass emerged during this time, spearheading the fight against slavery and advocating for the rights of African Americans. Their efforts laid the foundation for the eventual emancipation of enslaved individuals and the end of legal slavery in New York State in 1827, decades before the Emancipation Proclamation.

African American Culture and Society in mid-19th Century New York City

The mid-19th century witnessed the rise of African American cultural institutions, social clubs, and churches in New York City. Despite the prevailing racial discrimination, these institutions provided spaces for community-building, education, and empowerment.

Churches such as the Abyssinian Baptist Church and cultural organizations like the African Society for Mutual Relief created platforms for African Americans to celebrate their heritage, preserve their traditions, and collectively address social and economic challenges.

African American Communities and the Underground Railroad

New York City served as a crucial hub for the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses established during the early to mid-19th century to help enslaved African Americans escape to freedom.

Historic sites, including the home of abolitionist Lewis Tappan and Sandy Ground (the oldest surviving African American community in New York City),bear witness to the clandestine efforts of African Americans and their allies in aiding those seeking freedom from bondage.

The historical studies of African Americans in New York City between 1626 and 1863 are a testament to their resilience, strength, and contributions to America's urban landscape. From their early arrival as enslaved individuals to their fight for freedom and equality, African Americans in New York City made lasting social, cultural, and political impacts that continue to shape the city's identity today.

It is our collective responsibility to acknowledge and delve into the hidden stories of African Americans, ensuring that their narratives are fully integrated into historical accounts of urban America. By doing so, we can paint a more comprehensive and accurate picture of the diverse and transformative history of New York City and the nation as a whole.

In the Shadow of Slavery: African Americans in New York City, 1626-1863 (Historical Studies of Urban America)

by Leslie M. Harris(Kindle Edition)

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	4929 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	387 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE

"The black experience in the antebellum South has been thoroughly documented. But histories set in the North are few. In the Shadow of Slavery, then, is a big and ambitious book, one in which insights about race and class in New York City abound. Leslie Harris has masterfully brought more than two centuries of African American history back to life in this illuminating new work."—David Roediger, author of The Wages of Whiteness

In 1991 in lower Manhattan, a team of construction workers made an astonishing discovery. Just two blocks from City Hall, under twenty feet of asphalt, concrete, and rubble, lay the remains of an eighteenth-century "Negro Burial Ground." Closed in 1790 and covered over by roads and buildings throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the site turned out to be the largest such find in North America, containing the remains of as many as 20,000 African Americans. The graves revealed to New Yorkers and the nation an aspect of American history long hidden: the vast number of enslaved blacks who labored to create our nation's largest city.

In the Shadow of Slavery lays bare this history of African Americans in New York City, starting with the arrival of the first slaves in 1626, moving through the turbulent years before emancipation in 1827, and culminating in one of the most terrifying displays of racism in U.S. history, the New York City Draft Riots of 1863. Drawing on extensive travel accounts, autobiographies, newspapers, literature, and organizational records, Leslie M. Harris extends beyond prior studies of racial discrimination by tracing the undeniable impact of African Americans on class, politics, and community formation and by offering vivid portraits of the lives and aspirations of countless black New Yorkers.

Written with clarity and grace, In the Shadow of Slavery is an ambitious new work that will prove indispensable to historians of the African American experience, as well as anyone interested in the history of New York City.