Long before African Americans could freely tell their stories, Michael G. Shiner was quietly documenting history.
Born into slavery in 1805 in Piscataway, Maryland, Shiner became one of the most remarkable eyewitness chroniclers of nineteenth-century America. His writings preserved more than five decades of Washington, D.C., history, providing an extraordinary perspective on slavery, freedom, labor, and the nation’s transformation.
He was born to William Pumphrey Jr., whose family owned property in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Around 1812, Shiner was brought to the nation’s capital, where he eventually worked at the Washington Navy Yard. Although denied the educational opportunities available to White Americans, he learned to read and write, likely through religious instruction at Washington’s First Presbyterian Church.
His literacy became a powerful instrument of historical preservation. Beginning with recollections of events in 1813, Shiner recorded significant happenings in a handwritten journal he called his “book.” His observations included the British invasion of Washington during the War of 1812, particularly the burning of the Capitol and other government buildings in August 1814. His descriptions captured the fear, destruction, and confusion surrounding one of America’s most devastating wartime attacks.
However, his writings extended far beyond military events.
In 1828, Thomas Howard, chief clerk of the Washington Navy Yard, acquired Shiner and hired out his labor. He worked in the Navy Yard’s paint shop, observing the everyday experiences of enslaved and free workers. His diary documented ship launches, workplace accidents, labor disputes, racial discrimination, and political developments.
One of his most heartbreaking experiences occurred in 1833 when slave traders threatened to separate his family. His wife, Phillis, and their children faced the possibility of being sold away. Through determined intervention and assistance from influential individuals, Shiner obtained their release from enslavement.
He petitioned for his own freedom in 1836 and subsequently lived as a free man. By 1850, census records identified him as free, living with his second wife, Jane, and their children.
His writings continued through the Civil War, documenting the changing political landscape and the struggle for African American freedom. His manuscript also revered the Emancipation Proclamation, demonstrating the importance of this historic declaration to someone who had personally experienced enslavement.
Following the Civil War, he became active in Republican politics and advocated for African American rights. His remarkable memory and detailed observations made him a respected figure throughout Washington.
Shiner died of smallpox on January 16, 1880, at approximately seventy-five years old.
Today, his 186-page manuscript, The Diary of Michael Shiner Relating to the History of the Washington Navy Yard, 1813–1869, is preserved at the Library of Congress.
What makes his achievement extraordinary is that an African American laborer, once considered property under American law, became an invaluable recorder of the nation’s history.
Shiner never achieved fame during his lifetime as a writer. Yet his determination to document the world around him ensured that future generations could understand American history through the eyes of someone who experienced both slavery and freedom.
