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Mary Ellen Pleasant (August 19, 1814 [a] – January 11, 1904 [b]) was an American entrepreneur, financier, real estate magnate and abolitionist. She was arguably the first self-made millionaire of African-American heritage, preceding Madam C. J. Walker by decades.
Bell was a decades-long bachelor [4] when Pleasant introduced him to Teresa Percy Hoey, [3] [10] who had been one of her "protégés". [11] [d] Teresa's maiden name was Harris and she was a widow when she married Bell. [10] Home of Mary Ellen Pleasant and Thomas Bell's family, 1861 Octavia, San Francisco, California
Members of the organization included Lucy Stanton Day, [6] James Henry Harris, G. W. Brodie, [7] Ann Shadd Cary, Thomas Cary, Isaac Shadd, William Howard Day, Martin Delany, Osborne Perry Anderson, [2] John James Pleasant, and Mary Ellen Pleasant. [8]
Teresa Percy flees her abusive husband, a gambling addict, from New York City to San Francisco in the mid-19th century. Her new friend Lizzie, a prostitute, introduces her to Ms. Mary Ellen "Mammy" Pleasant, a mysterious local socialite infamous for having "rescued" and gainfully employed numerous black people who were former slaves and part of southern America's African-American diaspora.
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Another important figure that helped to pay for the raid was Mary Ellen Pleasant. She donated $30,000 (equivalent to $1.1 million in 2023), saying it was the "most important and significant act of her life". [35]
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Despite discrimination in employment, by 1862, African-Americans in San Francisco owned $300,000 in assets, mostly real estate. $100,000 of this was owned by two people: Mary Ellen Pleasant ($30,000) and a partner of hers, Richard Barber ($70,000). [20]