Toussaint, Pierre, 1766-1853
Pierre Toussaint (1766-1853?) was born a slave in Haiti (then Saint Domingue) and came to New York City in 1787 with the family of Pierre Berard. After becoming a successful hairdresser, Toussaint supported the Berard family and bought the freedom of many slaves. A devout Roman Catholic, Toussaint contributed to Catholic schools and orphanages, was a founding member of the first French Catholic Church in New York City, and helped poor black youths and the victims of yellow fever. In 1951 a petition was begun for his canonization.
Archival Resources
| Role | Title | Holding Repository | |
|---|---|---|---|
| referencedIn | Middleton "Spike" Harris papers, 1929-1977. | New York State Historical Documents Inventory | |
| referencedIn | Tarry, Ellen, 1906-2008. Ellen Tarry papers, 1937-1999 (bulk 1970-1980) | New York Public Library System, NYPL | |
| referencedIn | The records of the Catholic Interracial Council of New York. | Catholic University of America | |
| creatorOf | Pierre Toussaint papers, 1793-1853, 1822-1853 | New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division |
Bibliographic and Digital Archival Resources
| Role | Title | Holding Repository |
|---|
Filters:
| Relation | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| associatedWith | Catholic Church | corporateBody |
| associatedWith | Harris, M. A., 1908- | person |
| associatedWith | Tarry, Ellen, 1906-2008. | person |
| associatedWith | Toussaint, Euphemie, 1815-1829 | person |
| Place Name | Admin Code | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Marc | 06 | HT | |
| Republic of Haiti | 00 | HT | |
| New York City | NY | US |
| Subject |
|---|
| Slavery |
| Occupation |
|---|
| Hairdresser |
| Philanthropists |
| Activity |
|---|
Person
Birth 1766-06-27
Death 1853-06-30
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