Fredericksburg

"America's Most Historic City" lies between Richmond, Virginia and Washington, DC. At one time, when the leaders of America where thinking about where the nation’s capital would be located, Fredericksburg was a major contender. Settled in what was once the home of the Rappahannock tribe, Fredericksburg became a major seaport thoroughfare for all points going north, south, and west. Because of its location on the Rappahannock River, sea faring merchants engaged in enriching commerce activities including the sale of Africans who were kidnapped from their homes. At least 12 African nations were represented in the bills of sale, reward ads and official records. The launch of Reclaiming Our Time began in Fredericksburg and focused on 10 of the oldest surnames of Africans who were not living in bondaged as "property". In all of the historic accounts of Fredericksburg’s beginnings and growth, very little concerns the names of the people who literally built the city. This project examined 10 of the oldest African Americans in the city using genealogy and DNA tools.

 

Beverly (Poles) (Betsy) (Lewis, Jackson) Maria (Akers, Minor) Carter (Walker) Liverpool (Mundowney)

Simmons (Hailstalk, Evans, Grant) Noel (Day, Hamm) Henry and Kesiah Lucas Chester Fort (Ford, LeFort) Amini Dab (Booker, Jackson)

 

Many thanks to our program sponsors:

Trinity Episcopal Church		The Adegboloa Family The Richardson Family The Morris Family The Mundowney Family Ambassador (ret.)Pamela Bridgewater Mrs. Trudy Smith-Wilson Mrs. Janice Davies Mr. and Mrs. Edward Wright