Abraham Galloway was a spy, an insurgent, a statesman, a fierce advocate of the working class and a warrior against oppression and tyranny. WILMINGTON, N.C. -- One of the most important African American leaders of the late 1800s was born in North Carolina, but his accomplishments and influence vanished from history for 100 years. "When he did speaking tours in the North, he didn't introduce Frederick Douglass as the main speaker of the night.