Oral History of Freed Enslaves to Dominican Republic from US

Historian Martha Willmore describes the lives of the 1824 freed slave emigrants to Samana in the Dominican Republic. Interview by Dr. Dana Minaya of the Samana College Research Center.

In 1824, Bishop Richard Allen, founder of African American Episcopal Church, arranged for this family of freed slaves to go to Samana in the Dominican Republic. They had escaped from bad treatment of enslavement in North Carolina to Philadelphia. Historian Martha Willmore tells the surnames of her family from North Carolina.

They were given land according to the number of children. They built churches and schools for children to have education. They built homes and boats. In a short time, they organized themselves. They improved and sent their children back to the US to study. They distributed their crops in boats all around the area.

They were known for being honest. They could speak Spanish, French, and English. We are fortunate to have this recount of freed enslave people from Samana in FREED SLAVE EMIGRANTS TO SAMANA