Ignatius Sancho Nanny Toussaint L’Ouverture Alexander Pushkin Mary Prince Man of letters Freedom fi ghter General Writer Writer (1729-1780) (c1734) (1743-1803) (1799-1837) (1788-1833) Thought of in his time as “the extraordinary The feared leader of the Maroon community in Jamaica Toussaint L’Ouverture was the leader of Pushkin was one of the founders of modern Born in Bermuda, Mary Prince was negro”, Ignatius Sancho gained the respect of in the early 1700s (there were fi ve large Maroon the only successful slave revolt in the Russian literature, as revered in that country the fi rst black writer to recount the many important people in 18th-century communities in Jamaica during slavery). The Maroons Caribbean. With an army of formerly as Shakespeare is in Britain. Pushkin’s CAMDEN COUNCIL reality of what it meant to be a for his appreciation of the literary arts. were enslaved Africans who managed to escape the enslaved Africans he defeated the greatest great-grandfather was an African known female slave in the . Her He composed music, entertained many of plantations and form independent communities all armies of the day including the forces of the as Hannibal. writings challenged the prevailing London’s literary and artistic fi gures, and across the Americas. French, the English and the Spanish when Though he won the hearts of his assumption of the time, that had his portrait painted by . Nanny was reputed to be able to repulse bullets and they tried to reimpose slavery. countrymen, there is literary evidence Africans enjoyed their slavery. In His letters were collated and published by to be the sister of Cudjoe (another Maroon leader). She He eventually took control of the to show Pushkin was not ashamed of his The History of Mary Prince, A West friends after his death and became a bestseller, has a town named after her in Jamaica (Nanny Town) whole of the island of Hispaniola, which African heritage (most notably a poem Indian Slave, Related by Herself, she even being read by the prime minister of and has come to symbolise the resistance to slavery of incorporates modern-day Haiti and the called My Genealogy). Pushkin’s early works wrote, “All slaves want to be free ...

HULTON ARCHIVE / GETTY IMAGES HULTON the day. the enslaved Africans. Dominican Republic. LIBRARY THE BRIDGEMAN ART were infl uenced by Lord Byron. they have told me.” A determined fi ghter.

1600 1700 1596 1604 1620 1623 1672 1688 1739 1773 1780 1781 1787

Slavery legalised A publishing fi rst Africans thrown overboard Royal African company is Phillis Wheatley, an African American, Captain Collingwood throws 132 sick Africans off the granted a charter to carry comes to London where her poetry had Zong in order to collect insurance money slaves to the Americas. gained a following. She has a book of for them. This incident helps galvanise support for poems published. the movement against the . MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY EVANS MARY Shakespeare and Othello A play featuring a fully rounded black leading character, Othello, is

performed for the fi rst time. In some PICTURE LIBRARY EVANS MARY ways Shakespeare’s portrayal of a black A powerful state character was far superior to the often Abomey, capital of the kingdom dehumanising representations of black

of Dahomey, is founded around IMAGES GETTY people that were to follow in much this time in west Africa. This European literature. LIBRARY THE BRIDGEMAN ART

was to become a powerful state ARCHIVE / GETTY IMAGES HULTON with a strong connection to the King Sugar Atlantic slave trade. Sugar and slavery have become synonymous. From North to Maroon victory St Kitts annexed South America, the Caribbean Aphra Behn After a long-standing to Australia, this commodity The annexing of the island of St Kitts signals During the period that a war, the Maroons was grown using slavery or the beginning of British domination of much constitutional monarchy is (runaway enslaved other forms of coerced labour. of the Caribbean. Many islands in the Caribbean established in Britain, Aphra Africans who Sugar was ’s dominant changed hands during this period as European Behn publishes her novel formed their own import between the mid-18th colonisers from France, England, Spain and Oronooko about an African communities) force and 19th centuries. As demand CORBIS elsewhere fought to control the Caribbean. of royal blood. Apart from General Trelawney, a grew , more slaves were needed HULTON ARCHIVE / GETTY IMAGES HULTON Elizabeth I being one of the fi rst female British general, to sign to fulfi l the rigorous demands expels Africans writers in the English a peace agreement in of sugar production. This, in Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade formed In part reacting to a food crisis, language, Aphra Behn is Jamaica. Part of the turn, fuelled the Atlantic slave This organisation introduces the political poster, the consumer and foreshadowing much future credited with producing one agreement stipulated trade which helped build the boycott, the petition, the fl yer, the political book tour, and legislation, Queen Elizabeth I of the fi rst attacks on the that the Maroons international trade system with investigative reporting designed to stir people to political action. decrees that all Africans should Atlantic slave trade. would return other its complex web of insurance This movement was to immortalise characters such as Olaudah be removed from the British runaway enslaved and credit. Equaino, Thomas Clarkson, Granville Sharp and, of course, realm. This shows that there was Africans who tried to . It was a three-pronged movement: its

a signifi cant black presence in LIBRARY THE BRIDGEMAN ART join them. parliamentary face; its agitational face on the streets of Britain;

Britain at this time. PICTURE LIBRARY EVANS MARY but, above all, the struggles of the enslaved Africans themselves.

August August October Summer Interracial April 4 Affi rmative James Chaney, Andrew Passing of the Voting Rights The formation of the The TV series Roots, based There are 40 riots and 100 relationships Martin Luther King is action to Goodman and Michael Act makes it easier for black Black Panther party on Alex Haley’s novel, is a The leader of the Student other disturbances across between black and assassinated in Memphis, Angela Davis redress racial Schwerner (one black man October people to vote. by Huey Newton major hit. Not only does it Non-violent Coordinating the United States, most white people are Tennessee. Inner cities is put on the discrimination Tom Bradley Negro and two white men), who Martin and Bobby Seale in secure the highest TV ratings February Committee , Stokeley notably in Newark and illegal in 16 states across America explode; FBI’s most is given a legal is elected the History Week had been working to see that Luther King Some of the worst rioting California (pictured). ever but it also deepens the Malcolm X is Carmichael (later known as Detroit. until the supreme as many as 125 cities wanted list basis with fi rst black becomes black people could vote in is awarded explodes in Watts, leaving debate about race as many assassinated. Kwame Toure), begins to court rules in the experience riots. over her links the passing mayor of Black History Mississippi, are murdered. the Nobel 34 people dead, 3,500 Martin Luther Americans, both black and advocate “black power” as The fi rst African American Loving v Virginia with the Black of the Equal Los Angeles. Month. Evidence suggests the Ku peace prize. arrested, and property King initiates poor white, learn the story of an organising principle. supreme court judge, case that it is Shirley Chisholm is the fi rst Panther party. Employment Klux Klan, an extreme white damage of about $225 people’s campaign slavery in the United States Thurgood Marshall, is unconstitutional to African American woman Opportunity supremacist organisation, million. to unite people of for the fi rst time. elected. prevent such unions. elected to congress. Act. BRUNO BARBEY / MAGNUM PHOTOS BRUNO BARBEY / MAGNUM is responsible. all races. GETTY IMAGES 1965 1966 1967 1968 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977

In 1948 passengers arrive in Tilbury docks from Jamaica on a boat called Empire Windrush arrives Kelso Cochrane, a black Race Relations Act makes it illegal Bernard Coard publishes the Fosters, the from Jamaica. man, is murdered by a to refuse housing, public services landmark pamphlet How the long-running Empire Windrush, heralding a new phase of the black presence in the UK. gang of white youths. and employment on the grounds West Indian Child is Made sitcom, hits National Health Service Notting Hill riots The murderers are not of ethnicity. Educationally Subnormal British TV, making Many of its passengers had served in the second world war defending Britain. established. Enoch Powell leads a break out. After caught. The activist in the British School a star out of recruitment drive in the Caribbean Enoch Powell makes his “Rivers Other passengers came along to help rebuild the “mother country”, as Britain growing racial Claudia Jones (see System. The book inspires a Lenny Henry, for nurses. Much of the workforce of blood” speech denouncing 60 was referred to across its empire. tensions, the newly box D, right) organises movement for equal access among others.

YEARS SINCE that helps to build this institution ARCHIVE / GETTY IMAGES HULTON immigration. There are disturbances arrived West Indians a campaign to draw to educational opportunity Floella Benjamin came from the Caribbean. across the UK in support of his David Pitt WINDRUSH fi ght back against attention to this issue. for black children in British joins BBC’s Play speech, and some workers march to becomes a life teddy boy gangs who Notting Hill carnival, education. School, becoming show their support for his opposition peer, Lord Pitt are attacking them originally founded in well known to 492 passengers on Empire Windrush Second world war ex-service people to non-white immigration. Immigration Act passed, of Hampstead. armed with iron bars 1959, takes to the streets. a generation of as well as six stowaways. were among those aboard and had been to further restricting migration He later and knives. Riots Commonwealth children. Britain before. from Commonwealth became chair impact on national Immigrants Act is passed £28.10 paid by each passenger. David Oluwale countries. of the British Race Relations consciousness and with the aim of reducing 1,000 people a year is the low level of dies in police Medical Act strengthens start a debate about immigration from the Stiff competition to be aboard as a lot immigration from the West Indies until 1951. Billy Boston is custody. The issue Trevor Association. laws against of people tried to buy tickets when they were race relations that former British empire. of police brutality the fi rst black Six years later the controls McDonald discrimination and advertised in a Jamaican newspaper. 66,000 emigrate from the West Indies continues to this day. was to become rugby league were tightened further. becomes fi rst establishes the in 1961 as people rush to beat the door being player to represent more prominent in black British Commission for

saw Empire Windrush arrive at Tilbury PA June 22 slammed shut by the 1962 Immigration Act. Great Britain. the late 1970s. newsreader. Racial Equality. docks, having left Jamaica on May 24. 1948 1954 1958 1959 1962 1965 1968 1969 1971 1973 1975 1976 HULTON ARCHIVE / GETTY IMAGES HULTON