Salem Poor

Salem Poor was born into slavery in 1747 in Andover Massachusetts. However, Poor was eventually able to purchase his freedom on July 10, 1769. In 1775 Poor enlisted in the militia, serving under Captain Benjamin Ames in the regiment of Colonel James Frye. On June 16, 1775, Frye’s soldiers and two other companies were ordered to march from Cambridge to Charlestown. The next day, the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought, which included more than 100 African American and Native American soldiers fighting for the nation’s liberty.

Salem Poor is best remembered for his contributions during the Battle of Bunker Hill, where he is recognized for killing British Lieutenant Colonel James Abercrombie and several British soldiers. Poor’s bravery inspired 14 officers, including Colonel William Prescott, to acknowledge him for his heroism through an official petition to Congress. No other soldier of the American Revolution received such a recognition.

https://www.nps.gov/bost/learn/historyculture/bhm.htm

The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series celebrates the untold stories of Black American history.

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