Frontispiece to her book, this engraving depicts Phillis Wheatley penning a poem. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections Division. “Her poems provide a window into Black girls’ culture, slavery, and the emergence of...
1790 portrait of Major Benjamin Tallmadge with his son William, via Wikipedia. Agent 355 was a special code name during the American Revolution for an unknown female spy. Although there are well-known spies, Agent 355 was part of the Culper Ring spy network, a...
Sally St Clair, the fallen maiden, via Wikipedia. Sally St. Clair (or St. Clare) was an American woman who disguised herself as a man and joined the Continental Army, as a South Carolina Regiment member. She marched and fought alongside men, and most likely also...
Portrait of Elizabeth Freeman, better known as ‘Mumbett’, via Wikipedia. Elizabeth Freeman, better known as ‘Mumbett’ or ‘Bett’ was born a slave and remained as one for nearly thirty years before she successfully sued for her...
The Catawba Tribe in 1913, nearly 100 years after the death of Sally New River, via WikiCommons. The American Revolution occurred between the mid-1760s and 1791, meaning that for years people living within the colonies had trouble understanding what direction their...