(KXNET) — According to a thesis from a University of North Dakota student in 1993, African Americans have been present in North Dakota since 1800.

And as we end Black History Month this week, let’s look back at some notable African Americans in our state.

One accomplished African American in North Dakota History is Era Bell Thompson, who was originally born in Iowa but moved to North Dakota with her family as a child. She was an editor at Ebony magazine and was an author.

Other notable African Americans include Isaiah Dorman who was an interpreter for the United States Army and was the only African American killed during the Battle of Little Bighorn.

And James Beckwourth, an American mountain man, and fur trader.

History Professor, Bethany Andreasen, says African Americans moved to North Dakota for a better life.

“If you look at the motivation, it is much the same as you will find for anyone else. There were various opportunities over periods of time. We don’t want to forget homesteading because there were African American Homesteaders in the late 19th and early 20th centuries too. So they were searching for opportunities that weren’t available to them in the places that they came from,” said Andreasen.

And another interesting fact, Bismarck’s 1935 National Semi-Pro Championship team was the first integrated team to win a national baseball championship.