Black History Makers During the Victorian Era 1837 -1901

The following are the names of some of the people who made history during the reign of Queen Victoria in England. Their names are not usu ally found in history books. We must remember them for their contributions to this country and the world.

• Mary Ann Shadd Cary published Canada’s first anti-slavery newspaper called The Provincial Freeman. Her paper’s motto was, Self Reliance was the true road to independence. She later opened a private school for Blacks in 1856.

• Mary Seacole was the most famous Black woman during the Vic torian Age. Born in Jamaica she was a British war nurse who fought preju dice to care for the wounded soldiers in the Crimean War. She was known for using herbal medicines she learned from her African ancestry. She lived in London for a while and became a noted businesswoman.

• Ellen Craft was known as the master of disguise. She and her husband escaped slavery by disguising themselves. She pretended to be white, and he pretended to be her slave. They fled to England where they were helped by English abolitionists and became friends of Lady Noel Byron, the widow of the noted English poet. Ellen Craft died in 1897, and her husband died in 1900.

• Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield received world-wide acclaim as the most gifted vocalist in America. In 1853, she traveled to Europe and gave a command performance at Bucking ham Palace for Queen Victoria and was accompanied by Her Majesty’s royal organist and composer, Sir George Smart. After the Civil War she opened a voice studio in Philadelphia.

• Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin gained national prominence as a civic leader. She published the first Black women’s newspaper in America. Her mother was born in England. She and her husband moved to England and fought for Black equality.