African American Stories

Pulling stories from the newspapers and retelling them to the best of my ability 🫶🏾

[fromthepress]

Arranging Freedom in the South and Silent Support for the Union, the Story of Eli & Artymiss Bowers. | AlongTheEasternSeaboard

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New Post: Arranging Freedom in the South and Silent Support for the Union, the Story of Eli and Artymiss Bowers

This is a brief blog post relying on information from the Southern Claims Commission. The article is about Eli Bowers, a biracial man in the Midlands area of SC whose marriage was arranged with the intention of freeing his wife and his experience being forced to work for the Confederacy at a local courthouse during the Civil War.

[fromthepress]

New post on Ebenezer D. Bassett (first African American diplomat) and his role in the early days of what is now Cheyney University (the oldest HBCU).

The Story Ebenezer D. Bassett and His Advocacy for Education | AlongTheEasternSeaboard

Get more from AlongTheEasternSeaboard on Patreon

This is a brief introductory post focusing on his role in educating the Black youth, I am currently working on writing about his work as a diplomat but there is a strong chance that that will be a podcast or video instead of a blog post ❤️.

[itsstillsweetiebythealtar]

First post on my new Patreon 🥰❤️

[fromthepress]

New post on Ebenezer D. Bassett (first African American diplomat) and his role in the early days of what is now Cheyney University (the oldest HBCU).

The Story Ebenezer D. Bassett and His Advocacy for Education | AlongTheEasternSeaboard

Get more from AlongTheEasternSeaboard on Patreon

This is a brief introductory post focusing on his role in educating the Black youth, I am currently working on writing about his work as a diplomat but there is a strong chance that that will be a podcast or video instead of a blog post ❤️.

[yms1]

"There's millions of Tumblr users" to you. To me There's only about 12 and we all reblog the same five posts from each other

[seananmcguire]

Occasionally someone will bring a new post into the ecosystem, and those days are VERY exciting. ENRICHMENT!

[fromthepress]

Somewhat off topic but I recently posted my very first video on YouTube, I will be uploading weekly so I would love if yall showed some love and subscribed. The video is a follow up to the post I made about Nellie Benson but I’ve added a bit more information regarding her father.

My initial plan was to post content on TikTok but as we can see, that will not be possible 🤦🏾‍♀️. Also, I used to tts software that I was able to verify does not use AI as I am currently recovering from a cold but soon I will be doing my own narration so hang with me yall 🫶🏾❤️

[fromthepress]

My very first history vid yall 🫶🏾

[fromthepress]

Somewhat off topic but I recently posted my very first video on YouTube, I will be uploading weekly so I would love if yall showed some love and subscribed. The video is a follow up to the post I made about Nellie Benson but I’ve added a bit more information regarding her father.

My initial plan was to post content on TikTok but as we can see, that will not be possible 🤦🏾‍♀️. Also, I used to tts software that I was able to verify does not use AI as I am currently recovering from a cold but soon I will be doing my own narration so hang with me yall 🫶🏾❤️

[fromthepress]

As many of you from my main page discussing African American spirituality know, I am also a genealogist (I have traced both lines back to pre-Emancipation). If anyone on here would like to ask some questions or get some advice, feel free to reach out 🫶🏾

[fromthepress]

The Story of Thomas Peterson

Thomas Peterson is known as the first Black person to cast a vote on March 31st, 1870, under the 15th Amendment. While this was once argued by a historian, to this day, the title and full respect are given to Peterson.

Peterson's ability to vote was of course met with resistance, as when he went to cast his first vote, a White citizen who was voting tore his own ballot stating that he should "quit" now that colored men could vote.

According to a newspaper clipping announcing his passing in 1904, he was born in 1824 to unlisted parents in Metuchen, NJ. He would go on to marry Daphne Peterson and together they would have three children, Ben, Jennie. & Alice.

Before Peterson's passing, he would be seen playing an important role in the local Black political community, often providing commentary on the actions of both the Republican and Democratic parties.

While Peterson traditionally identified as Republican, he left the party in 1886 due to his disappointment with their handling of the "rum question".

After his passing, his service was carried out at St. Peter's Episcopal church under the leadership of Rev. J. L. Lancaster before being laid to rest in the church's graveyard.

[fromthepress]

New post up about Thomas Peterson of Perth Amboy, NJ, the first Black man to vote following the 15th Amendment ❤️

[fromthepress]

The Story of Thomas Peterson

Thomas Peterson is known as the first Black person to cast a vote on March 31st, 1870, under the 15th Amendment. While this was once argued by a historian, to this day, the title and full respect are given to Peterson.

Peterson's ability to vote was of course met with resistance, as when he went to cast his first vote, a White citizen who was voting tore his own ballot stating that he should "quit" now that colored men could vote.

According to a newspaper clipping announcing his passing in 1904, he was born in 1824 to unlisted parents in Metuchen, NJ. He would go on to marry Daphne Peterson and together they would have three children, Ben, Jennie. & Alice.

Before Peterson's passing, he would be seen playing an important role in the local Black political community, often providing commentary on the actions of both the Republican and Democratic parties.

While Peterson traditionally identified as Republican, he left the party in 1886 due to his disappointment with their handling of the "rum question".

After his passing, his service was carried out at St. Peter's Episcopal church under the leadership of Rev. J. L. Lancaster before being laid to rest in the church's graveyard.

[fromthepress]

The Story of Nellie Benson

Nellie Benson was born in 1877 in Virginia to William and Elizabeth Forrester. Her father William was a successful business owner in the area, acknowledged in newspaper articles for his own success.

Nellie as an adult would marry John Meade Benson, who would go on to own his own pharmacy in the state, being one of two Black pharmacists in the area. With a desire to work in the pharmacy, Nellie enrolled in pharmacy school before eventually applying for the exam in March of 1903.

After awaiting the results of the exam, it would be announced that Nellie had passed her exam in 1904, becoming the first African American woman in the state to do such.

After practicing in the city of Richmond, Nellie, her husband, and their children would eventually relocate to St. Louis, Missouri where Nellie would find success as a pharmacist and even be left in charge of the prescription department at a local pharmacy located in St. Louis in place of Harry Douglass, who had enlisted in the U.S. Army and would be leaving to serve in the Hospital Corps in 1917.

Nellie could be seen making the local news repeatedly, with stories of her career advancement and changes, as she would eventually go on to become a Truant officer for the city. In 1963 at the age of 86, she passed of pneumonia at her home on Good Avenue.