Historical Notes & Liberties
Part I – Weeksville – 1863-1865
THE FIRST SECTION of the book takes place in the town of Weeksville, a section of Brooklyn dominated by free Black landowners, which was located where Crown Heights stands today. Male Blacks were able to vote in New York during the early 1860s if they owned land valued at $250 or more. Many Blacks from New York fled to Weeksville after the violent Draft Riots in 1863. These riots pitted the Irish against both the Blacks and the rich. The Blacks were targeted because the Irish were infuriated at the prospect of being drafted to fight in a war that would free the people (Blacks) who would likely steal their jobs. Blacks were beaten severely and a number were lynched by roving Irish mobs. Many homes of the rich were ransacked and
