The Boston slave trade began when a ship arrived in the harbor in the summer of 1638 carrying a cargo of enslaved Africans, but there was already a history of slave ownership in the new colony. After this early experience, Massachusetts would continue to be a slave owning colony for almost 150 years. In this week’s episode, we discuss the origins of African slavery in Massachusetts and compare the experience of enslaved Africans to other forms of unfree labor in Boston, such as enslaved Native Americans, Scottish prisoners of war, and indentured servants.
Warning: This week’s episode uses some of the racialized language of our 17th and 18th century sources, and it describes an act of sexual violence.
Original Sin
- John Josselyn’s account of the rape ordered by Samuel Maverick in order to create a “breed” of enslaved Africans.
- Speculation that the “queen” owned by Samuel Maverick was a member of the Kongo nobility.
- Thomas Morton’s notes on the enslavement of four French traders by Native Americans on Boston Harbor in 1616.
- Marsha Hamilton’s article on the indentured Scottish prisoners imported into Massachusetts.
- Jeremy Belknap’s notes on slavery in Massachusetts.
- The 1641 Body of Liberties, which provided a legal basis for slavery in Massachusetts.
- An advertisement for a young enslaved child to be given away.
- Limerick librarian Liam Hogan debunks the modern myth of Irish slavery.
For more on early slavery in Boston, check out these books:
- Brethren by Nature: New England Indians, Colonists, and the Origins of American Slavery by Margaret Ellen Newell
- New England Bound: Slavery and Colonization in Early America by Wendy Warren
- The Price for Their Pound of Flesh: The Value of the Enslaved, from Womb to Grave, in the Building of a Nation by Daina Raimey Barry
- Unfreedom: Slavery and Dependence in Eighteenth-Century Boston by Jared Ross Hardesty
Featured Historic Site
Located in Medford, the Royall House and Slave Quarters is the early 18th century home of Isaac Royall, one of the wealthiest citizens of Massachusetts, and one of the colony’s largest slave owners. Unlike almost any other historic site associated with slave owners we’ve visited, the interpretation at the Royall House is more focused on the enslaved than the enslavers.
Upcoming Event
On Wednesday, April 4, Dr. Natalie Joy will give a lunchtime talk at the Massachusetts Historical Society entitled Native Americans in the Antislavery Movement. Joy is a professor of history at Northern Illinois University, and she has extensively studied and published on the links between Native American slave owners and radical abolitionists in the years leading up to the Civil War.
From the MHS website:
This presentation explores Native American participation in the American antislavery movement from the 1830s to the 1860s. In addition to attending meetings, Indians signed petitions, donated money, organized fundraising fairs, held positions in antislavery societies, and assisted fugitive slaves. Most significantly, they influenced abolitionist thought on a number of issues.
The event begins at noon. It’s free of charge, and registration is not required, but you are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch to enjoy while Dr. Joy speaks. More details available from the Massachusetts Historical Society.
Bonus upcoming event
This weekend marks the beginning of the Revolutionary season in the Boston area. On Saturday, April 7th, you can catch the Bedford Pole Capping, as well as both the Meriam’s Corner Exercise in Concord and the Paul Revere Capture Ceremony in Lincoln. From April 14th to 21st, there are dozens of commemorations scheduled, with activities nearly every day. Get all the details from the National Park Service.