Could anyone tell me what was the situation for colored people in San Francisco in the 1850/60s? What about slave trade? How did the civil war affect life in California?

-- Roar Holmedal (holmedal@netcom.no), January 30, 2000

Answers

Th S F African American Historical & Cultural Society has printed seveeral pamphlets on earl African Maerican history in SF. One of them "A Waling Tour of the Black Presence in San Francisco" is particuarly good.

The most famous Early Pioneer of African heritage was William A Leidesdorff. He was instrumental in laying the foundation of our city government as well as the Board of Education. He also owned one of the first Hotels.

Slavery was illegal in California but there was some trade. Mammy Pleasant, another African American pioneer, was instrumental in rescuing several black persons held illegally in California.

Good luck on your research.

-- kurt Iversen (iversenk@aol.com), January 31, 2000.

The Museum of the City of SF web page: http://www.sfmuseum.org/ has several source articles under its By Subject/San Francisco  African Americans section.

-- Joe Thompson (cable_car_guy@hotmail.com), February 02, 2000.

HEre's a good ref for you:

"Pioneer Urbanites: A Social and Cultural History of Black San Francisco." by Douglas Henry Daniels, Univ. of Calif. Press, 1990

-- Chris Dichtel (cyberiad@earthlink.net), July 18, 2000.