On this day in 1644 by Jerry Mitchell, Mississippi Today February 11, 2024 Feb. 11, 1644 New Amsterdam depicted in a cartoon, circa 1642 The first known legal protest by those of African descent in what became the United States took place when 11 Black Americans petitioned the Council for New Netherland for freedom, saying they had fulfilled their contracts to the Dutch West India Co. They had been brought to the colony just a few years after its 1624 founding.
Five months later, eight Black Americans returned to court, demanding their full freedom. They cited the arrival of English soldiers, who might re-enslave them. Despite those fears, the Black Americans managed to keep their freedom and lived north of what is now Washington Square Park, creating New York City’s first free Black community.This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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