Name Unrecorded - Male {African man, Livingston household}

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This person of African descent has 1 related event in the database, listed at the bottom of this page.

This person is related to Rutgers University history. See our research guide Rutgers University & Slavery for more information about finding university affiliates and archival sources in our database.
Identifier
NJS-PER-00339
Sex
Male
Biographical Description
An African man was sold to slave traders in Africa and brought to New York City in the fall of 1752, where he was enslaved to Philip Livingston. This man ran away from Philip Livingston on October 28, 1752, shortly after disembarking in New York City. The enslaver placed an advertising in the New-York Gazette offering 3 pounds as a reward for the capture and return of this African man. The name of the African man was not recorded in the advertisement. The advertisement noted that the man spoke no English or Dutch, but only the language of his homeland. He retained his African hairstyle, which was described by Philip Livingston as "hair or wool...curled in locks, in a very remarkable manner," and this would make him stand out among the other Black residents of the area. The enslaver supposed that the freedom seeker made his way toward the woods near Harlem, which was at that time a small village north of New York City on the Island of Manhattan.

This unnamed African man is featured in "New York at Its Core: Port City, 1609-1898," a permanent gallery exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York. His story is told in an interactive biographical display titled "Livingston's Runaway: Resisting Slavery."
Keywords
African descent person
Rutgers University history
Places
Africa
New York City, New York
Enslaved by
Philip Livingston (1716-1778)
Record Contributor
Jesse Bayker
Linked Events

Primary Participant in:
Resource class
Agent