1775-Sep.-15: Thomas Jeremiah, a prominent free black pilot in Charleston, was executed following a trial where he was accused of inciting an insurrection of th

1775-Sep.-15: Thomas Jeremiah, a prominent free black pilot in Charleston, was executed following a trial where he was accused of inciting an insurrection of the enslaved. Julius S. Scott notes that Jeremiah’s role as a maritime pilot granted him exceptional mobility and access to information, making him a perceived threat to the enslavers. His execution served as a stark warning to other “masterless” people of color who navigated the coastal waters of the South. Jeremiah’s case highlights the early anxieties colonial authorities felt regarding the intersection of maritime labor and political resistance. This event predates the broader revolutionary movements but established a pattern of targeting black mariners as agents of unrest.