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.
The Logbooks
In the News | U.S. Rejects Vote to Recognize Slavery as a ‘Crime Against Humanity’
By Ruth Maclean, New York Times The United States voted against a United Nations resolution this week to formally recognize the trans-Atlantic slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity.” The resolution, which was led by Ghana, urged U.N. member states to apologize for the slave trade and to contribute to a reparations fund. On Tuesday, … Continue reading In the News | U.S. Rejects Vote to Recognize Slavery as a ‘Crime Against Humanity’
Event | International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
On Wednesday, 25 March 2026 at 10:00 a.m. EDT, the United Nations General Assembly will convene its annual plenary meeting to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Speakers will include the President of the 80th Session of the General Assembly, Her Excellency Annalena Baerbock; the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres; a keynote address from … Continue reading Event | International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
POSTPONED: The Malaga Ship performance & panel
With care for everyone’s safety and travel conditions, we had to make the difficult decision to cancel today’s Malaga Ship performance and panel at Maine Maritime Museum due to the storm. We were so looking forward to gathering with you and sharing this powerful work. It’s disappointing not to be together today, but we know … Continue reading POSTPONED: The Malaga Ship performance & panel
Maine Philanthropy Center Event | Launching the History of Philanthropic Wealth in Maine Report on 4/7/26
The Maine Philanthropy Center is hosting an event on April 7 to launch "The History of Philanthropic Wealth in Maine," a report exploring wealth origins and their impact on communities. Attendees will engage in discussions on equitable philanthropy and actionable frameworks for community-centered giving, featuring reflections from experts and opportunities for dialogue.
In the News | ‘Owning Our History’ exhibit explores First Unitarian Church of Providence’s history of slavery
By Kelly DingSenior Staff Writer | The Brown Daily HeraldMarch 3, 2026 | 3:36am EST The exhibit is on display at the R.I. State House until March 22 On display at the Rhode Island State House through March 22, the “Owning Our History” exhibit focused on the history of slavery at the First Unitarian Church of … Continue reading In the News | ‘Owning Our History’ exhibit explores First Unitarian Church of Providence’s history of slavery
Slavery North Event | “Called to Care: Black Women in Epidemic Philadelphia” with Fellow Olivia Haynes on 3/12/26
Olivia Haynes, a PhD candidate in Afro-American Studies, will present her research on Black women's labor during the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia at a Fellow Talk on March 12, 2026. The event, hosted by Slavery North, is open to all and will take place both in-person and online via Zoom.
Research Fellowship at Maine Historical Society, deadline 4/15/26
The Maine Historical Society announces the P.D. Merrill Research Fellowship for the 2026-2027 cycle, offering a $3,000 stipend for research on Maine's economic history. Open to Ph.D. candidates and independent scholars, applications are due by April 15, 2026, requiring a cover letter, CV, reference letter, and project proposal.
Partnership of Historic Bostons Event | The Unknown War: King Philip’s War, 1675-1678 on 3/11/26
Hosted by Partnership of Historic Bostons Part of the Metacom's Resistance: Retelling King Philip's War collection Wednesday, March 11 from 7 pm to 8:30 pm EDT REGISTER HERE King Philip’s War (1675-1678) has rightly been described as a watershed moment for the Native and Puritan inhabitants of New England. The history of this forgotten conflict is most … Continue reading Partnership of Historic Bostons Event | The Unknown War: King Philip’s War, 1675-1678 on 3/11/26
Slave Legacy History Coalition Event | Stealing America: The Hidden Story of Indigenous Slavery in U.S. History on 3/11/26
Hosted by the Slave Legacy History Coalition With Dr. Linford Fisher Wednesday, March 11, 202610:30-11:30 AM ET Online REGISTER HERE Indigenous enslavement was a colossal phenomenon of almost unimaginable consequences that ensnared nearly 600,000 Native Americans in North America. In a saga that predates 1619, this double–stealing of Indigenous people and their lands upends virtually … Continue reading Slave Legacy History Coalition Event | Stealing America: The Hidden Story of Indigenous Slavery in U.S. History on 3/11/26
Indigo Arts Alliance Event | Art in the Wake II: Repairing, Healing and Memory | live from Brazil, today!
Saturday, February 28, 2026starting at 8:00 am EST Art in the Wake II: Repairing, Healing and Memory is the second symposium in Indigo Arts Alliance’s multiyear partnership with the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s (NMAAHC) Center for the Study of Global Slavery (CSGS). Building on the 2023 inaugural program, Art in the Wake: Reckoning and Re-membering, our continued collaboration … Continue reading Indigo Arts Alliance Event | Art in the Wake II: Repairing, Healing and Memory | live from Brazil, today!
In the news | Plaques to mark Kittery’s role in transatlantic slave trade
Portsmouth Herald reports on the critical commemorative work of the Maine Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project Feb. 24, 2026 Residents are digging into the town’s ties to the transatlantic slave trade and Kittery Point’s status as a documented arrival port for ships carrying enslaved people. Two plaques will be installed — one at … Continue reading In the news | Plaques to mark Kittery’s role in transatlantic slave trade
Partnership of Historic Bostons Event Series | Metacom’s Resistance: Retelling King Philip’s War and Its Legacy, from 3/11/26
Hosted by Partnership of Historic Bostons Eight eye-opening events March-May 2026 LEARN MORE & REGISTER King Philip’s War: the least known but bloodiest conflict in American history. Its story has been told by colonial victors. Award-winning historians, tribal citizens and Indigenous scholars turn that story upside down, exploring the cost of this brutal war and … Continue reading Partnership of Historic Bostons Event Series | Metacom’s Resistance: Retelling King Philip’s War and Its Legacy, from 3/11/26
Vaughan Homestead Event | “The Great Resistance” | Author talk with Carrie Gibson on 3/29/26
Hosted by Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead Sunday, March 29, 20262:00- 5:00 pmVaughan Woods & Historic Homestead2 Litchfield RoadHallowell, ME 04347 $10/person includes refreshments and a copy of The Great ResistanceSpace is limited Tickets & Info Acclaimed historian and author Carrie Gibson visits Hallowell's Vaughan Woods and Historic Homestead for their annual Rural Socrates Series Book Talk. Ms. Gibson is the … Continue reading Vaughan Homestead Event | “The Great Resistance” | Author talk with Carrie Gibson on 3/29/26
South Portland Event | Amos’s Ear: The Historic African American Community of Peterborough in Warren, Maine on 2/18
February 18 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pmSouth Portland Main Library482 BroadwaySouth Portland, ME 04107 LEARN MORE Join Kate McMahon, Ph.D. at the Main Library on Wednesday, February 18th at 6:30pm for the historical presentation Amos’s Ear: The Historic African American Community of Peterborough in Warren, Maine. Amos Peters was a man of mixed Wampanoag and African heritage and a Revolutionary War veteran … Continue reading South Portland Event | Amos’s Ear: The Historic African American Community of Peterborough in Warren, Maine on 2/18
Advocacy alert | Wabanaki sovereignty
Public Hearing for LD 395 and LD 785 Maine residents: public hearings for two significant bills related to Wabanaki sovereignty will take place on Thursday, February 19th, 2026. Testimony for LD 395, An Act to Restore Access to Federal Laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations, will be heard by the Judiciary Committee at the State House at 10am, and … Continue reading Advocacy alert | Wabanaki sovereignty
LCHA Event | Amos’s Ear: Black Mainers, the American Revolution, and the Fight for Freedom, with Dr. Kate McMahon on 2/5/26
Hosted by Lincoln County Historical Association, In partnership with Old Bristol Historical Society Thursday, February 5, 20266:00 - 7:00 pm ETa free online lecture LEARN MORE & REGISTER African Americans used the American Revolution as a means to pursue freedom and equality. This lecture explores the history of freedom-making in Revolutionary-era Maine, with a particular focus … Continue reading LCHA Event | Amos’s Ear: Black Mainers, the American Revolution, and the Fight for Freedom, with Dr. Kate McMahon on 2/5/26
Mystic Seaport Museum Event | Closing of “Entwined: Freedom, Sovereignty and the Sea” on 1/17
On Saturday January 17 at 1pm a special closing ceremony will feature remarks by two RNEH collaborators, Dr. Akeia de Barros Gomes, Visiting Scholar & Adjunct Lecturer at the Simmons Center and Dr. Mack Scott, Visiting Assistant Professor of Slavery & Justice at the Simmons Center.
Who gets to define our shared story?
By Meadow Dibble At a time when those committed to truth and justice are gripped by what Martin Luther King, Jr. described as the “fierce urgency of now,” it may feel like researching, studying, and discussing history are luxuries we can’t afford. Like we can’t turn our eyes away from the crisis unfolding before us. … Continue reading Who gets to define our shared story?
ABB Event | Mary Heuston: A Local Black Freedom Story in the 19th Century Atlantic Maritime World on 1/14/26
Join us on 1/14 for a powerful and deeply researched talk by Dr. Eben Miller. Late one evening in August 1850, a young woman quietly slipped out of a home on Middle Street in Bath, Maine. While her enslavers slept, she entered a carriage bound for Brunswick. With help from local Black residents, she evaded recapture and secured her freedom.
Event | Wabanaki REACH Program on 1/25
Hosted by Wabanaki REACH January 25, 2026 from 2:00-4:00 pm REGISTER HERE As the new year begins, Wabanaki REACH will be offering online programs to the public, starting with Interacting with Wabanaki Maine History (IWMH) on January 25 at 2:00-4:00 pm. IWMH is a two-hour interactive experience in which we engage in a story of … Continue reading Event | Wabanaki REACH Program on 1/25