31 Facts About Leonard Black

Leonard Black was born a slave in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and was separated from his family by the age of six.

The first marriage was to a woman named Mary A Black, a woman who died at some point in time after 1850 and with whom Black had five children.

Leonard Black's father, George Black, was an African-American Baptist minister who took him into his home after he escaped slavery and helped him become established.

At the age of six, Leonard Black was sold to a carpenter named Bradford and was separated from his parents and siblings.

Leonard Black was abused, beaten, burned, fed little and had no personal possessions.

When Leonard Black was 13 years old, the elder Mr Bradford died and with the rest of his property, the boy was inherited by the man's daughter, Elizabeth Bradford who married a quick-tempered man named Gardner.

Leonard Black was beaten, among other times, when he acquired books to learn to read.

Leonard Black returned to his "old master" and met up with his four brothers.

In 1837, after 20 years enslavement, Leonard Black decided to escape and go north to meet up with his three brothers; He thought his family was either in Boston, Massachusetts, or Canada.

Leonard Black believed he had the support of his friend Henry, but Henry informed his master that Black had escaped.

Leonard Black traveled to Boston, working odd jobs to earn money for food.

Leonard Black resisted attempts to be captured throughout his travels.

Leonard Black returned to Portland, lived with George Black and his family and worked as an engineer at a steam factory.

When George Black and his family moved to Boston to become minister of the African Meeting House on Belknap Street, Leonard went with them.

Leonard Black worked at the wharfs and became a member of the Belknap Street church.

Leonard Black first studied with Francis Wayland, president of Brown University, and became an active member and student of religion at the Meetinghouse Street Church, organized as a Baptist Church and at that time led by Rev Jeremiah Ashur, then the African Union Meeting and Schoolhouse.

Leonard Black then operated a canal boat from Providence to Woonsocket.

Leonard Black was brought home to his ill, pregnant wife.

Leonard Black traveled to Nantucket with a letter of recommendation from two Providence preachers for Deacon Berry.

Leonard Black preached at the York Street Baptist Church for several weeks.

Leonard Black wrote the book to inform Christians of what slavery was like in hopes of ending slavery which would free his fourth brother and earn enough money to pursue religious studies.

Leonard Black's autobiography includes a poem entitled The Traveling Pilgrim and an essay on slavery.

In 1850 Leonard Black was a Baptist minister at the Third Stonington Church in Stonington, Connecticut.

Leonard Black obtained a position at the Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, New York, in 1851, but left the position shortly after when the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was enacted that required escaped slaves to be returned to their owners.

Leonard Black was the minister of the Third Baptist Church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 1855.

Leonard Black was married to Mary Ann and living in New Haven, Connecticut in 1870.

Ten years later, Leonard Black was married to Mary Ann, who was born about 1835 in St Thomas.

Rev Leonard Black was the Vice President of the Virginia Baptist State Convention in 1872, living in Norfolk.

Leonard Black moved to Virginia where in 1873 he was made pastor of the First Baptist Church, known as Harrison Street Church, in Petersburg.

Leonard Black was successful in doubling the church's membership during his time, from 1900 to 3600 people.

In 1882 Leonard Black was interviewed and a biography was written from that interview.