Category Archives: Enslaved People

The Fate of the Black Loyalists of Fairfield County, CT, Part 2

Here is Part 2 of a 2-part article on The Fate of the Black Loyalists of Fairfield County, CT. Part 1 of this article series lays the groundwork to understanding the position that Black Loyalists found themselves in while serving the British Crown. Part 2 tells the individual stories of what happened to some of the Black Loyalists from Fairfield County, Connecticut, after they arrived in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Canada, and Sierra Leone. I approach this topic as a family historian-genealogist and a descendant of enslaved/formerly enslaved African and Indigenous peoples who served as Black Patriots and Black Loyalists in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. I believe that their remarkable contributions to both the United States and Britain have been overlooked. It is important to recognize that their acts of resistance and agency positioned them as the
“Founding Fathers” in the US and Canada.

While this article does not provide a comprehensive overview of Connecticut Loyalists’
involvement in the War, it offers a snapshot of the significant events that Black Loyalists of Fairfield County faced. Their fates highlight how the promises made to them by the Loyalists ultimately turned out to be grand gestures that led to a false sense of freedom. While some may view Black Loyalists as “the losers’ losers,” we regard them as heroes for pursuing liberty, freedom, and justice in the face of great odds. The decision they all made to ta The Fate of the Black Loyalists of Fairfiled County, CT Part 2ke a chance on freedom is perhaps the most American of all stories.

The full article can be read here: The Fate of the Black Loyalists of Fairfield County, CT Part 2

A Revolutionary Breakthrough: Discovering Our Van Salee Lineage

Over the past few years, my cousin Andrea and I have made some remarkable discoveries that have taken one of our family lines directly back to New Amsterdam. On June 28, 2023, my first article was published in The Journal of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society. You can click here to read it: A Revolutionary Breakthrough_Discovering Our Van Salee Lineage_Teresa Vega

For those wanting to know more about the Munsee and African presence in New Amsterdam/Colonial New York, please consider taking this Walking Tour  that Russell Shorto has put together. I was happy to see Manuel Plaza, named after my 9th great-grandfather, Manuel de Gerritt de Reus, on this list.