At the South Portland Historical Society, we have a seasonal rhythm that suits us. In the winter, it’s a perfect time for some research and fundraising; each spring, we mount a new exhibit and open our museum; summer and fall are always busy with our museum open every day; and as the holidays approach in … Continue reading Captain Taylor and Captain Talbot made history in Portland, Maine
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Cesar Family Project
I signed up for this class to engage in something different. It was a chance to break free from the normal classes I had and an opportunity learn about valuable history that had barely been touched. On the very first meeting our teacher asked us to name 5 famous black people who lived before 1950. … Continue reading Cesar Family Project
New Triangle Trade Infograph
Triangle Trade and Connecticut
Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman in Portland?!!
Many of us who have studied African American history in New England are familiar with Mum Bet, later to be known as Elizabeth Freeman. While enslaved to a family in Sheffield, Massachusetts in 1781, she was the first to challenge the new state constitution, which proclaimed that “all men are born free and equal.” … Continue reading Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman in Portland?!!
Learning Northern Slavery Through Twitter @SlaveryNorth
I have asked my students to summarize some of their first trimester's work in a blog post. Over the next week, I will share some of them on here. - RM My name is Simba Chen, I am a member of the Searching for Slavery class. My responsibility is to man the class twitter account. This trimester, I am … Continue reading Learning Northern Slavery Through Twitter @SlaveryNorth
Exeter, NH and Evolving Revolutionary History
The Ladd-Gilman House, now a part of the American Independence Museum in Exeter, New Hampshire, once overlooked wharves busy with trade that supported the system of slavery and an enslaved man once lived there. Yet, those stories have remained largely untold. Research is now underway to reassess the museum's interpretation of the American Revolution toward a more inclusive history that incorporates the experiences of Black and enslaved Americans and their impact on the fight for independence.
Event tomorrow: Stories in Stone, America’s African Burying Ground in Newport, RI
Introduction to the African heritage people who lived, worked, worshiped and eventually died in Colonial Newport. Thursday, December 10, 2020 | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM EST Register here Before the American Revolution, Newport, Rhode Island was the largest and most active slave port in British North America. As part of that legacy, Newport is … Continue reading Event tomorrow: Stories in Stone, America’s African Burying Ground in Newport, RI
Changed by an Assignment
“I beg you to allow me to take pictures of your utmost suffering.”Eiichi Matsumoto, Photographer, Hiroshima By Anne Farrow Almost 20 years ago, I began studying slavery as an assignment. My editor at the Sunday magazine had received a request from the editor in chief, who wanted the magazine to discover and explore the life … Continue reading Changed by an Assignment
The Students Speak
As promised, for this blog post, I will let my students speak. I teach sixth grade at a public charter middle school on Cape Cod. I have 84 students in my ELA classes. They cycle through in groups of 14 this year, sitting in beach chairs on the classroom floor as stiff breezes scatter leaves … Continue reading The Students Speak
Confronting Place Ignorance in Education
By Fiona Hopper In January 2020, Starr Kelly, Curator of Education at the Abbe Museum, led a workshop for the social studies vertical team (a group comprised of teachers, parents, and students in Portland, Maine) and partner organizations titled Can We Decolonize Educational Spaces?: A Critical Look at Settler Colonialism and Empire Building. Starr asked … Continue reading Confronting Place Ignorance in Education
