William J. Brown
(1814 - 1883; John E. Sterling records a death date of 1885)
William J. Brown was born in 1814 into a free black family in Providence, Rhode Island. His father was a sailor and laborer and his mother was the daughter of an African-American slave and Narragansett Indian woman. William became an artisan and leader in Providence’s African-American community. His autobiography, Life of William J. Brown of Providence R.I. (1883), is a valuable account of African-America life in Providence during the 19th century.
Francis J. Leazes Jr., PhD, Rhode Island College
Gallery
A ship graveyard along the Providence River, late 1800s; the area where William J. Brown's father would have shipped out of.
Narragansett Indians of Rhode Island; primarily the west side of the bay, with the Wampanoags primarily on the east side; the Wampanoags met the Pilgrims in 1621, and the Narragansetts welcomed Roger Williams to the "Rhode Island" area in 1631 after he was chased from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
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A ship graveyard along the Providence River, late 1800s; the area where William J. Brown's father would have shipped out of.