Historians: Freed slaves once formed a colony in the Valley
Posted: Jan 30, 2023 / 05:09 PM CST Updated: Jan 30, 2023 / 05:09 PM CST HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — In what is now Brownsville – historians...
Posted: Jan 30, 2023 / 05:09 PM CST Updated: Jan 30, 2023 / 05:09 PM CST HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — In what is now Brownsville – historians believe there was the existence of a colony consisting of freed slaves. 'There's evidence that they came up the river and they formed an agricultural colony right here,' said Eugene Fernandez, History Central Director. It started when an English ship captain came into the port of Veracruz with slaves on board. Valley Historian Eugene Fernandez said the captain was confronted by the Spanish Navy and could not enter the country with slaves because slavery was outlawed.