Thomas Peters - As We Close Out Black History Month

[Amadu Massally]

Join us for a talk on a great man at the North Carolina Rice Festival on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 2:05 p.m. EST.

Thomas Peters' origins trace back to what is now Nigeria, born circa 1738 into the Egba people. Captured and forcibly taken to Louisiana, he endured the horrors of slavery. Despite facing adversity, Peters displayed remarkable resilience, attempting to escape captivity three times before fate led him to William Campbell, who transported him to Wilmington. There, he honed his skills as a millwright under Campbell's ownership.

In a pivotal moment of defiance, Peters seized an opportunity for freedom, escaping to British warships either at Brunswick or at the river's mouth, likely around March 1776. Embracing the cause of liberty, he enlisted in the newly formed black regiment, the Black Pioneers, organized by Sir Henry Clinton for escaped slaves. Rising through the ranks to become a Sergeant, Peters served steadfastly with the unit throughout the duration of the Revolutionary War.

Following the conflict's conclusion, Peters sought refuge and settled in Nova Scotia in 1783, marking the beginning of a new chapter in his extraordinary life, including leading the "Black Loyalists", aka "Nova Scotians," aka the "Settlers", into the founding of a place that was named Freetown in 1792. Replacing the Province of Freedom as named in 1787.

We have a request for the people of North Carolina, especially Wilmington, and specifically Brunswick Town, where Thomas Peters plowed.

Regards,

Amadu Massally

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“The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that's wrong with the world.”

—Dr. Paul Farmer
Chief Strategist & Co-founder