Born a slave on a Virginia plantation, Tom Molineaux (1784–1818) fought fellow slaves while plantation owners wagered on the contests. After winning one of these matches against a rival, Molineaux was granted his freedom and the sum of $500. By 1809, he had traveled to New York and subsequently to England where he pursued a title in London's boxing rings. Two notorious fights with English champion Tom Cribb in 1810 and 1811 won him a place in boxing history. Molineaux is considered the second notable American boxer, preceded by his Virginia-born trainer, Bill Richmond. A hand-colored etching of Molineaux at an English boxing match (London, 1812) is now part of the Virginia Historical Society collection.
http://www.vahistorical.org/collections-and-resources/virginia-history-explorer/tom-molineaux
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