Full Name
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
- Jeremiah Belknap (first enslaver)
- Major Lawson Buckminster (second enslaver and emancipator)
- Continental Army (served as a soldier)
Affiliated Organizations’ Names
- Continental Army (served as a soldier)
Major Events
- American Revolutionary War (served as a soldier)
- Battle of Bunker Hill (participated in the battle)
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