Deep History.
“African Americans did not first come to urban New England as a part of the "Great Migration" from the rural south to the urban north that occurred during the 20th century. African Americans were among the founding families of New England, and their history here, although largely unknown, is deserving of attention.”
Fighting For Freedom.
Frederick Douglass escaped slavery in Maryland and settled in New Bedford, Mass. In 1845, published Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, and it received so much publicity his friends urged him to flee the country. He had put himself in danger by naming the names of people who abused him, with places and dates. On Aug. 16, 1845, he set sail for Ireland. While overseas, he wrote a letter to his friend William Lloyd Garrison, venting about his former master. Read what he said here.
Enslaved People & Wenham
In the mid-18th century, 1 in 17 of the residents of Wenham, Massachusetts was enslaved. Prior to the Revolutionary War, enslavement was commonplace throughout Essex County -- but most histories of the town have largely overlooked the phenomenon. Enslaved People & Wenham documents Wenham's enslaved population and explores where they lived, worked, worshiped and are thought to be buried. A town within our Branch jurisdiction, Wenham is just one of the many towns with a history that has been lost to the general public. Congratulations to our Branch Member Robbie Corcorn for publishing his book, available for free online reading at: https://archive.org/details/enslaved-people-and-wenham, and for sale at Barnes and Noble.