Historical Museum of Southern Florida/Ralph M. Munroe Collection [354E]

After the abolition of slavery in 1865, Afro-Caribbeans viewed the United States as a more attractive country in which to reside. As a consequence, their immigration grew perceptibly, directed to Florida and the Northeast, mainly New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Because of Florida's proximity to the Bahamas, Bahamians predominated among those who went to this state; people from other Anglophone islands opted mostly for the Northeast.