Boston King facts for kids

Boston King (born around 1760, died 1802) was an amazing person who was once enslaved in America. He became free with the help of the British during the American Revolutionary War. After the war, he moved to Nova Scotia, Canada.

Later, he moved to Sierra Leone in Africa. There, he helped start a city called Freetown. He also became the first Methodist missionary to teach local African people. In 1798, he wrote a book about his life. It was one of the few books written by Black Nova Scotians. It was also special because it told a story that crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Boston King was born enslaved in South Carolina. He learned to be a carpenter. He joined the British army when they took over Charleston. This was because the British promised freedom to enslaved people who helped them.

Early Life and Freedom

Boston King was born in South Carolina. His father was an enslaved person from Africa who could read. His mother knew about plant medicines from Native Americans. Boston first joined the British army near Charleston. He survived a serious illness called smallpox.

During the American Revolution, he traveled to New York. He escaped being captured two times. In New York, he met and married Violet. She was an enslaved woman from North Carolina. She had also joined the British, hoping for freedom. The British promised freedom to enslaved people who helped them in the war.

The Kings were among 3,000 Black Americans who received freedom papers. Their names were written in a special book called the Book of Negroes. They left with the British and settled in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Life in Nova Scotia

Boston King was a skilled carpenter. He and Violet helped build a community in Birchtown, Nova Scotia. He worked many different jobs to make a living. The Black Loyalists, who were Black people loyal to Britain, faced many challenges. They had to wait a long time for land and supplies. Also, the soil was not good for farming.

Before the Kings decided to leave Nova Scotia, Boston King became a Methodist minister. He led a church group in Preston, near Halifax.

Moving to Sierra Leone

Even though things were getting better in Nova Scotia, the Kings chose to move. They decided to go to a new British colony in Africa. This colony was called the Province of Freedom, which is now Sierra Leone. This move happened in 1792. The colony was started for Black people from London and Canada.

About 1,200 Black Canadians traveled on several ships. They started their own settlement called Freetown. Sadly, Violet King died from a fever soon after they arrived.

At first, Boston worked for a company. His job was to preach to the native Africans in Sierra Leone. He could not understand their language at first. Soon, he opened a school. Later, he traveled to England to study and become a teacher himself.

In 1794, the Sierra Leone Company sent King to England. He studied to be a teacher and missionary at the Methodist-Kingswood School. This school was near Bristol. He returned to Sierra Leone in 1796. There, he taught other settlers and worked as a missionary to local people. During this time, he wrote his life story. It was published in London.

Family and Later Life

After Violet passed away, King married again in Sierra Leone. He worked as a missionary to the Sherbro people. They lived in a coastal area about 100 miles south of Freetown. Boston King and his second wife died around 1802. According to a census from 1802, King had two sons and a daughter.

His Autobiography

While he was studying in Bristol, England, Boston King wrote a book about his life. It was called Memoirs of the Life of Boston King (1798). This book was published in four parts in a magazine in London. It is an important example of a slave narrative, which is a story written by someone who was enslaved.

His book was special for a few reasons. It was one of only three such stories written by Black Nova Scotians. It also told a story that crossed the Atlantic Ocean. This means it covered his life in America, Canada, and Africa. A new version of his book was published in 2003. It was called The Life of Boston King, Black Loyalist, Minister, and Master Carpenter.