Black History Month
Ondine Farlam
TIMELINE: AMERICA AND ENGLAND
England
Roman times
Antique items, such as spoons with African pictures, show that Africans lived in London. In the Roman Army, African soldiers were stationed at Hadrian's Wall. Septimus Severus, first African Roman emperor, died in York, England, in 211AD.
12th century
Records show people of African origin living in England in Medieval times.
Tudor times
Catherine of Aragon brought African attendants with her to court. African trumpeters served Henrys VII and VIII.
1593
The first African English person whose name is recorded, is 'Cornelius, a blackamoor', whose burial is recorded in the parish register in Lee, London.
18th century
With Britain now the biggest slave-trading nation, Olaudah Equiano and Ignatius Sancho were freed slaves, and brave
anti-slavery campaigners. They had learned to read as slaves.
America
1619
The first African slaves arrived by ship. The Portuguese began the slave trade in the 15th century, buying west African people from kings or kidnapping them!
18th century
The slave trade was at its peak. It took seven weeks to travel from Africa to America. Many slaves died on the horrific journey. They were chained! Slaves were treated cruelly, beaten. And the slave masters were Christians!