Foreword

The basis for the use of the term ‘colored’:

I wrote this book with the intention of exploring a slice of life of the Black elite of New York before the Civil War. The “Black aristocracy” in New York, particularly the Lower Manhattan area, rose during the years of the 1830s and onward until after the Civil War.

As noted in Professor Carla Peterson’s book, ’Black Gotham: A Family History of African Americans in Nineteenth Century New York,’ Black people of this era referred to themselves as either ‘colored,’ ‘Negro,’ ‘colored American,’ ‘African American,’ and ‘Black.’ The purpose of using the term ‘colored’ in this book is because in this slice of life I’ve chosen, the Black elite of this time didn’t consider themselves ‘African American.’ With few exceptions, most had been born in the United States. They had a varied ancestry similar to their White counterparts. Their ancestry included Dutch, Indian, Native American, and other ethnicities.

As such, they saw themselves as ‘Colored Americans.’ Thus, this is how I use the term.

I want to thank Professor Peterson for her work from which this book has been inspired and is based. Through the exploration of her family history, I have been blessed.

All mistakes are mine alone. I truly hope you enjoy the story.