January 1760

Newport Gardner (Occramar Marycoo), an enslaved man in Newport, Rhode Island, teaches himself music theory so thoroughly that his owner's family employs him to give music lessons. He eventually opens a singing school in Newport — one of the earliest music schools in colonial America run by a Black person — and later composes songs that circulate in print.

Newport Gardner (Occramar Marycoo), enslaved in Newport, Rhode Island, teaches himself music theory and opens a singing school — one of colonial America's earliest music schools run by a Black person. He later composes songs that circulate in print, becoming a recognized musical figure in 18th-century New England.