Jeremiah Burke Sanderson, born August 10, 1821 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, began his abolitionist work at the at the age of 19 as the secretary of New Bedford Colored Citizens. Associated with many leading abolitionist of the time, he moved to California in 1854 with intention of making enough money to return home to his family. An activist for African-American rights, Sanderson established Sacramento’s first school for children of color and ran it without any state aid for more than a year. (1) A collection of photos from his life that you can find at the CA State Library.
