Anchored in Legacy: African Americans in Maritime History
- Snow Hill African American Heritage Society
- Feb 16
- 3 min read
African Americans and Labor
Segment 1
Maritime and Ports
Maryland Tivoli in Baltimore Harbor
In 1694, the town of Snow Hill was designated a royal port by William and Mary of England.Along the Pocomoke River, three-masted schooners transported tobacco and supplies to growing plantations (https://mdgenweb.org/worcester/history.htm). Schooners and later Steamboats sailed up and down the royal port carrying goods and passengers making stops in Snow Hill and Newtown known today as Pocomoke.
The economy of the river was mostly tied to the institution of slavery and after the Civil war,
steamboats were a source of employment for many African Americans who had formerly been enslaved. There were a number of important roles employed by African Americans on the river and although the work was hard and the pay was often low, their work in many positions were essential to the running of a steamboat https://www.howardsteamboatmuseum.org/river-history/black-history-month-2021/
Shipbuilding along the Pocomoke River has a rich history. Snow Hill was a shipbuilding town in the 19 th century that built many seaworthy vessels. Also, Pocomoke was a shipbuilding town on the river and was once alive with maritime. The shipyard of E. James Tull was launched around 1884. He built a variety of boats, schooners, tugs, etc. A popular vessel was the schooner. These sea vessels carried coal, seafood, tomatoes, and harvested lumber. Skilled men of all ages and color worked at the shipyard
Frederick Douglass, along his path of slavery on Maryland Eastern Shore, to his time speaking about the abolishment of slavery, spent several years in the shipbuilding trade in Baltimore as a caulker. He worked at the Asa Price shipyard where he learned to be a caulker working on ships at Fells Point. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=102951
African American stevedores played a crucial role in the maritime economy of the Eastern Shore. Stevedores of mostly carefree and happy blacks handled the sturdy two-wheeled trucks with finesse while swinging and singing folk songs and blending spirituals playing up to the onlookers (Worcester County Maryland’s Arcadia, Truitt, Reginald V. 1891; Les Callette, Millard, G. joint author; Worcester County Historical Society). Stevedores were dockworkers who moved cargoes on and off steamboats. In the South, these laborers were primarily African Americans, and coordinated loading by singing, keeping the rhythm of moving freight. Many stevedores were formerly enslaved individuals seeking economic
opportunities post-civil war. Their labor was essential for the success of shipping companies operating in the area.
Black sailors called Black Jacks played a significant role in maritime labor. Black Jacks were valuable members of the seafaring community. Black Jacks moved between ports in the North and Maryland, bringing news of independence, literate, and self-sufficient African Americans living in freedom (Still, W.1872, Escaping from Norfolk in Captain Lee's Skiff). Frederick Douglas escaped from slavery as a sailor by borrowing from his friend’s Seaman’s Protection Certificate. Seaman’s Protection Certificates were required to verify the identity and citizenship of American seamen https://rediscovering-black-history.blogs.archives.gov/
Spanning the period from the 17 th to the mid 19 th centuries, Black men both slave and free made up of a significant population of seafaring community and maritime occupations
Stewardesses provided services on steamboats. The cleanliness and personal service of the steamboats were often boasted. Most notably on the Pocomoke run was Aunt Prissy of Snow Hill a pleasant, genial, efficient, and comforting African American stewardess in charge of public services. (Worcester County Maryland’s Arcadia, Truitt, Reginald V. 1891; Les Callette, Millard G., joint author; Worcester County Historical Society).
Democratic Messenger May 11, 1933
Other African American crew members on steamboats consisted of deckhands, cooks, stewards, waiters, musicians, and engineers.
The heyday of steam boating on the river followed the period of the Civil War (Worcester County Maryland’s Arcadia, Truitt, Reginald V. 1891; Les Callette, Millard, G. joint author; Worcester County Historical Society). After the Civil War, steamers continued to sail up the shore until the early 1900s. African Americans made huge contributions on the river in ways that shaped the course of history.
Other Sources
Pictures - The Mariners’ Museum and Park - https://www.marinersmuseum.org/
Ncuurie, (2021). African American Seamen of the Antebellum Era: Using Seamen’s Protection Certificates to Document Early Black Mariners. American Civil War, Antebellum Era, Finding Aids.
Worcester County Library, Snow Hill Branch
Worcester County Maryland’s Arcadia, Truitt, Reginald V. 1891; Les Callette, Millard, G., joint author;
Worcester County Historical Society
Places to Visit
E. James Tull Shipyard site – Pocomoke, MD
Frederick Douglas - Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum
1417 Thames Ave., Baltimore, MD
Julia A. Purnell Museum - Snow Hill, MD
Royal Port site - Sturgis Park, Snow Hill, MD
Other Historic Ports in Maryland
Annapolis
Baltimore
Cambridge
Easton
Oxford
Sandy Point
St. Mary’s
Written by: Maria Blake, Ed.D.
February 16, 2025
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