4 ms·
fact check: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2xy51z/when_did_the_last_former_american_slave_whod_been/ https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/com
by rfinney 8y ago
fact check:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2xy51z/when_did_the_last_former_american_slave_whod_been/ https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/2xy51z/when_...
The "War Between the States" ended in 1865, so likely the last former slave died in the 1970s.
- runako 8y agoOf course you're correct! I edited my comment to note that Barracoon is believed to be the last enslaved person brought to the US from Africa. Wikipedia counts Sylvester Magee as the last living slave: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvester_Magee https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvester_Magee He died in 1971, as you intuited.
- extralego 8y agoBut not before reaching an estimated ripe old age of 130! Wow! “Sylvester Magee (May 29, 1841? – October 15, 1971)”