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Slavery in Northampton, 1654 to 1783
A Zoom Presentation with Emma Winter Zeig and Shara Denson


Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 7 pm
Register for the Zoom link
Sliding scale admission: $5-25
Students: Free of charge

REGISTER

In the 129 years from the English settlement of Northampton in 1654 to the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts in 1783, fifty or more men, women, and children were enslaved in Northampton.  Their stories illuminate how enslavers in Northampton exerted power over the lives of the people they enslaved, but also the ways that enslaved people took back control over their lives, gaining their freedom, starting families, managing careers, and amassing property. 

For three years (2019-2021), the Slavery Research Project consisted of a team of staff, interns, and scholars who combed through every available record to identify those who were enslaved and to learn as much as possible about their lives and the lives of their children. Shara Denson, Historic Northampton trustee and project advisor, will introduce the Project.  Emma Winter Zeig, director of Historic Northampton’s Slavery Research Project, will highlight stories of people who this project shed new light on, describe the challenges of researching slavery, and introduce the web portal where the results of the study are available.  You can access it here:

Historic Northampton Slavery Research Project
Picture
Bess' death recorded in First Church of Christ Records, Forbes Library.

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Emma Winter Zeig directed the Historic Northampton Slavery Research Project. In 2019, she earned an MA in History and a certificate in Public History from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She worked at Historic Northampton from 2019-2022.

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Shara Denson is a trustee of Historic Northampton and project advisor.  She is Human Resources Business Partner for Student Affairs & Campus Life, College of Education, College of Humanities & Fine Arts and Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.


REGISTER

Header image: “Amos S[on] of Amos Negro”:  Baptismal record for Amos Hull Jr., September 15, 1754, First Church of Christ records, Forbes Library.  The Slavery Research Project found that Amos Hull Sr. was enslaved and later became free. He owned livestock and paid for goods at the local store by mowing and threshing grain. He had a wife and five children, one of whom (Agrippa Hull) served in the American Revolution.
HISTORIC
​NORTHAMPTON
46 Bridge Street
Northampton
​Massachusetts 01060
[email protected]
​413-584-6011
Museum Hours

Historic Northampton is temporarily closed in May and June 2025. Next exhibit:
Slavery and Freedom in Northampton, 1654 to 1783.


For upcoming events and programs, see the  Events Calendar.
​

Hours and Directions
© COPYRIGHT 2015-2024. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • About
    • About Historic Northampton
    • Hours and Directions
    • Volunteer
    • Board-Staff
    • Legal/Financial
  • Programs
    • Upcoming Programs
    • Past Events at Historic Northampton >
      • Past Programs 2025
      • Past Programs 2024
      • Mill River Flood 150 Commemoration >
        • Mill River Flood 150 Commemoration Events
        • Mill River Flood Introduction
        • Mill River Flood Lives Lost
        • Mill River Flood Commemoration Markers >
          • \\\\\\\\Williamsburg Mill River Flood Markers
          • Skinnerville Mill River Flood Markers
          • Haydenville Mill River Flood Markers
          • Leeds Mill River Markers
          • Florence Mill River Markers
          • Northampton Mill River Markers
        • Mill River Flood Who Was Responsible
        • Mill River Flood Guided Walks to the Dam Ruins
        • Mill River Flood Memorial Tree Project
      • Past Programs 2023
      • Past Programs 2022
      • Past Programs 2021
      • Past Programs 2020
      • Past Programs 2019
    • MCC Card to Culture at Historic Northampton
    • Help I am not receiving email announcements
  • Explore
    • Collections & Research
    • History at Home >
      • Videos
      • Interactive Witch Trial
      • Paper Dolls
      • Hidden Histories
      • Scavenger Hunts
      • Coloring Pages
      • Brain Teasers
      • Peg Doll Hunts
      • Jonathan Edwards Prayer Requests
    • Properties >
      • Parsons House
      • Damon House
      • Shepherd House
      • Shepherd Barn 2020
      • The Bridge Street School Sprouts
    • Educational Websites
    • Historic Highlights
    • COVID-19 Stories >
      • Vaccination Photos
      • Submit Your COVID Story
      • Children React
      • Family and Neighborhood Fun
      • It's a New World
      • Hope and Togetherness
      • Images
      • How Illness Feels
      • Brings Forth Memory
      • Blessings and the New Busy
      • Fear and Worry
  • Indigenous Native History
    • Native Histories in Nonotuck
    • Nonotuck Histories Essay by Margaret M. Bruchac
    • Recovering Nonotuck Histories Photo Essay
    • Profiles of Native People
    • Extended Biographies of Native People
    • Nonotuck to Northampton Maps
    • Native LIves Bibliography
  • History of Slavery
    • About the Slavery Research Project
    • Black Enslaved People
    • Free Black People
    • Native Enslaved People
    • Enslavers of People
    • Relationship Map >
      • Relationship Map Family Groups
      • Relationship Map Enslavement
      • Relationship Map Indenture
      • Relationship Map Legal
      • Relationship Map Commerce
      • Relationship Map Foster or Guardian
      • Relationship Map Social Connections
    • Timeline of Slavery in Northampton
  • DONATE
    • Donate to the Spring Appeal
    • WAYS TO GIVE >
      • Monthly Donation
      • IRA Giving
      • Stock Giving
    • Join the Email List
    • Donate to the Collection