Black History Fact Of The Day: The African American Man Who Founded Bushwick, Brooklyn November 9, 2015November 9, 2015 Elsie Law In 1661, a man who was known as “Francisco the Negro” helped to found what is now Bushwick, Brooklyn. He was one of the 23 founders of that area. In 1661, Bushwick was known as Boswijk. [Bibliography: Slavery In New York] Tweet