NH BLACK HISTORY 

Isles of Shoals poet Celia Thaxter was known for her deep connection to Nature, but never for her belief in racial equality. Her sulking view of emancipation following the Civil War simmers in this 1879 poem for children. Here she places the weight of the world on the descendents of enslaved African Americans.

BLACK HISTORY

Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail members are back from their first group tour to Ghana in West Africa. The trip coincided with the grand opening of a new Digital Learning Center created by co-operation of the Portsmouth-Greater Accra Sister City Connection. Read more.

NH BLACK HISTORY

Since its publication, the book Black Portsmouth has become an invaluable tool for historians. It documents the important and four-century history of African Americans in NH’s only seaport. This summary is part of the original research that lead to the book and provides a brief summary. Continue to read.

When workmen "discovered" the African American Burial Ground beneath the streets of Portsmouth in 2003, the city agreed with one voice that a memorial was needed. But how to honor as many as 200 citizens whose graves had been ignored and built over by the city? The first draft of the memorial designs were released recently, and in the words of the Burial Ground committee chairman, "Now we know what we don’t want."

NH BLACK HISTORY

First lady Martha Washington enslaved more Africans than any woman of her time. When Ona (Oney) Judge, Martha’s body slave, escaped from Mount Vernon in 1796, she came to Seacoast, New Hampshire. Her amazing story is told her by researcher Evelyn Gerson for SeacoastNH.com

UPDATE 2007

To everything there is a season, and the time for black history has arrived. Enormous public interest, combined with extensive academic study is bringing America’s forgotten history to light. That is especially true here in New Hampshire, home of the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail.

PORTSMOUTH BLACK HISTORY TRAIL

On the Black History Trail, "the Pearl" is the former People’’ Baptist Church. Thanks to supportive owners, volunteer stewards, federal restoration funds and lots of hard work – it survives today. Renovated, redecorated, reeducated, the Pearl has a new lease on life and a permanent place in Portsmouth history.

NH BLACK HISTORY

The November 4 dedication to Harriet Wilson marks will give us the first-ever New Hampshire statue to a person of color. The "Mother of the African American Novel" published her historic book in 1859, before the Civil War. $10,000 is needed to cover final costs of the new Milford, NH Memorial

SEACOAST BLACK HISTORY

His grave was lost to history, until an amateur Seacoast historian tracked the history of one enslaved NH farm worker. Now Caesar Brackett can rest easy. Following is a detailed summary of the historic research and the creation of a new memorial marker in Greenland, NH.

NH BLACK HISTORY

Does the train to freedom tell the wrong tale about slavery? Popular tales of kindly white homeowners protecting anonymous blacks on the run does not tell the full story. History tells us that only about one percent of the four million enslaved Americans escaped during the Civil War, and mostly by other African Americans.