Before the Civil War and the Fourteenth amendment, there were free blacks who lived, thrived, and contributed significantly to the early history of the United States. Of course life as a free black American in the colonies was not easy, and they faced a myriad of challenges that related directly to the color of their skin. But many were able to live good and even remarkable lives that deserve to be remembered.
Gregor MacGregor's fraud has been widely described as one of the most brazen in history.