How the son of freed American slaves found fortune and glory in Imperial Russia Archive photo; Russia Beyond In his native Mississippi, the black American Frederick Thomas only found discrimination, but in Tsarist Russia, he became rich and successful as the owner of Moscow’s most popular night clubs. He fathered five Russian children and became a Russian citizen. He planned to stay in Russia, but the Revolution forced Thomas to think twice.
“American Negro Who Made and Lost Fortunes Died Penniless and in Debt” On July 8, 1928,
The New York Times reported the death of Frederick Thomas in a Turkish debtors’ prison. The son of freed American slaves, Thomas had been a leading figure in the Russian emigre community in Constantinople.