Full Name

Peter Salem

Date of Birth

October 1, 1750

Date of Death

August 16, 1816

Place of Birth

Framingham, Massachusetts, United States

Place of Death

Framingham, Massachusetts, United States

Known Affiliates Names

Affiliated Organizations’ Names

Major Events

Brief Biography

Peter Salem, born on October 1, 1750, in Framingham, Massachusetts, was an African-American soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War. He was born enslaved to Jeremiah Belknap and later sold to Major Lawson Buckminster, who emancipated Salem to allow him to enlist in the Continental Army. Salem fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill, where he is credited with killing British Major John Pitcairn. After the war, Salem married Katy Benson and worked as a cane weaver. He passed away on August 16, 1816, and was buried in Framingham. In 1882, a monument was erected in his honor at the Old Burying Ground in Framingham[2][3][4][5].

Citations: [1] https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/peter-salem-and-battle-bunker-hill [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Salem [3] https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/salem-peter-ca-1750-1816/ [4] https://www.nps.gov/people/peter-salem.htm [5] https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/peter-salem