One of the areas of genealogy that I am keenly interested in is the somewhat unknown niche of African American research in New England. When people think of African American research they typically think of the South or Midwest of the United States. And rightly so, most of the African American population originated or migrated to these areas.
New England, however, has a rich African American history of its own. New England does not escape the tarnished history of slavery. And even though slavery ended much earlier in New England than in the south, New Englanders where complicit in extending and promoting the slave trade for their monetary gain.
In a recent article in The Boston Globe called "New England’s hidden history: More than we like to think, the North was built on slavery", journalist Francie Latour provides an introduction that encompasses the intricacies of the forgotten history of African Americans in New England.
I would encourage anyone with an interest in learning more on this topic to start with this article. I know I will find it handy to refer people to it.
If you discover, as I did, that you are compelled to learn more about the story of African Americans in New England then take a look at a bibliography that I've created and made available on my website. It will provide you will a list of further resources on the subject.
If you are already interested in African American history/genealogy in New England, drop me a line and let me know you are out there. It would be wonderful to discover others who are as interested in the topic as I am.
That is a very interesting article. I made a copy for my files!
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