Americas First Black Ambassador’s With Race Content

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/31/2009

BASSETT, Ebenezer D. (1833- 1908) was an African American appointed U.S. ambassador to Haiti in 1869, making him the first black American diplomat.Autograph Letter Signed, "Ebenezer Bassett," May 31, 1876, Porta au Prince, Haiti, to "Honorable Robert B. Vance, House of Representatives (NC)," 2pp., VG. Bassett advises Vance regarding a claimant who was preferred by Rev. Philip Bell, in part, "... I gathered from him that he was of 2 rightly remembered among those colored men who came to this country in 1824 or about that period, expressly to avoid the state of affairs then existing in the United States touching their race and who were understood by the fact of their coming to reside here to be Haitian citizens." Also signed in the PS, "EDB."

Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).