Unexpected freedom in 1783

​#RockSolidHistory from #FrauncesTavern in Manhattan to continue with #PresidentsDay and #BlackHistoryMonth!

The tavern, the oldest building in #NYC and one-time headquarters of the Executive Branch of the newly formed U.S. government, has a museum on its top floors. One exhibit focuses on the Birch Trials.

Following the American Revolution, it seems that Black individuals on the island were not allowed to vacate with the British, even if they were Loyalists, or British sympathizers. It is estimated only about 15% of the 3,000 Black individuals caught in this situation were in fact brought by the British and fought for the British.

It left these individuals with no place to call home. They were not wanted by the British. They were not wanted by the Americans. What to do?

The Birch Trials were then held in 1783, likely in the Long Room. Luckily for some who were slaves owned by Americans, they were granted passage on ships to Nova Scotia, regardless of ownership. In a way, it granted all of these Black people freedom. Their names were inscribed in “The Book of Negroes,” an important way for many to trace their ancestry today, and an important part of Black History in the U.S.

Racism and enslavement in America were escaped. Hopefully they led better lives in Nova Scotia.

#BirchTrials #BookofNegroes #RevolutionaryWarHistory #FrauncesTavernMuseum #NYCBlackHistory #FrauncesTavern #SamuelBirch #NovaScotiaBlackHistory