Hosted by Atlantic Black Box
Thursday, January 26, 2023 at 5:00 PM EST
Location: Online
Register here
Charles Shaw shares the compelling story of James A. Butler, his maternal great, great grandfather who migrated as a young man from the Province of Nova Scotia to Boston in the mid-19th century in search of opportunity. A boat builder by trade and a likely descendant of the Black loyalist evacuation of New York in 1783, Butler arrived in the U.S. with youthful confidence and verve, only to encounter the dark side of the pursuit for the American dream.

About the speaker:
Charles Shaw, a ninth-generation native of Massachusetts, has traced his genealogy back to the late 17th century. His maternal line hails from Massachusetts, Maine, and Nova Scotia. He has been involved in extensive research for over thirty years, including journeys of over a thousand miles in search of answers to the mysteries his genealogical past. Mr. Shaw is an active member of the Afro American Historical Genealogical Society – New England Chapter and a past member of Boston’s Beacon Hill Scholars.
What Happened Here is a speaker series from Atlantic Black Box featuring citizen historians and scholars doing groundbreaking research to reveal the suppressed history of New England.