January 17, 1719 - William Vernon
Vernon's career illustrates how deeply the slave trade was woven into the commercial and civic fabric of colonial New England — a merchant who trafficked in enslaved people while simultaneously holding positions of public trust and revolutionary responsibility. His role in the Continental Congress's naval operations placed him at the administrative center of the American war effort, even as his wealth derived in part from one of history's most destructive forced migrations. The combination was not unusual for the era, but it remains historically significant precisely because it was not.
From Wikipedia
William Vernon (January 17, 1719 – December 22, 1806), of Newport, Rhode Island, was a merchant in the Atlantic slave trade who played a leading role in the Continental Congress' maritime activities during the American Revolution. In 1774, Vernon was member of the committee of correspondence between Newport and Boston. As president of the Eastern Navy Board during the Revolution, he was responsible for building and outfitting the ships of the Continental Navy. William Vernon was one of the charter members of the Artillery Company of Newport, and is the namesake of the Vernon House.
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