Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Angela Matthews

Enslaved Africans fought for freedom from tyranny alongside the Western European Patriots of Portsmouth – the Sons of Liberty, as they call themselves. It was a fight that did not necessarily guarantee an African his own liberty. Called to arms by their enslavers, some Africans used their war bounty to buy their freedom, while others self-emancipated to fight with the British for the promise of independence. This tour of 18th century Portsmouth is experienced from the perspective of African veterans who served NH in the Revolutionary War, some of whom lived in Portsmouth and surrounding towns. Experience how Portsmouth African men and women provided the kind of support that helped their neighbors and fellow veterans in this tight knit community to survive well into the 19th century.