The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire and the Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden have come together in partnership; their inaugural offering is a not-to-be-missed conversation between descendants of African and white families of Portsmouth from the 1700s. Entitled “Discovery of Our Interconnected Legacies of Portsmouth: New Hampshire’s Slave History” the program will feature eight generation descendants Laurel Guild Yancey and Tonya Ward Singer talking about their discoveries of slavery and its legacy in their families. The event will take place Saturday May 18, 2024 at 10:30am at the Portsmouth Public Library, and will be moderated by JerriAnne Boggis, Executive Director of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire.
Background
Prince Whipple, a young native of Africa, was transported during the Atlantic slave trade to America, and enslaved by William Whipple, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. In 1779, Prince Whipple, together with 19 other enslaved Africans, submitted a Petition for Freedom to the New Hampshire state legislature.
Laurel Guild Yancey is the 6th-great-granddaughter of Prince and Dinah Chase Whipple, while Tonya Ward Singer is the 6th-great-grandniece of William and Catherine Whipple. The panelists will discuss their connection with these two men and their New Hampshire families, African and white, as a living history.
Boggis explains, “In the spirit of Sankofa, we’ll explore together such questions as: what do we go back and learn from the past? What do we do with what we find? What is to be carried forward from reconciling past injustice? Who benefits? What legacies will we pass to future generations?”
Erica MacEvoy, executive director of the Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden, is thrilled with the new partnership, “The purpose of the Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden is to interpret American, New Hampshire, and Portsmouth history through the lives and possessions of the inhabitants of the house, both free and enslaved. This partnership with BHTNH and this specific event gives us the chance to look deeper into this history through the eyes of some of the descendants.”
Register for Virtual Attendance Here
About the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire
The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire promotes awareness and appreciation of African American history and life in order to build more inclusive communities today. We work to visibly honor and share a truer, more inclusive history through exhibits, educational programs, curriculum development and tours that can change the way our country understands human dignity when it is free of historical stereotypes. Building on the success of the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail that started more than two decades ago, the statewide Black Heritage Trail connects the stories of New Hampshire’s African heritage by documenting and making visible many of the historic sites that testify to this rich history. The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire is an independent, nonprofit organization. The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit; Taxpayer Identification Number 81-3921917. Please call us at 603-570-8469 for more information. Please visit www.BlackHeritageTrailNH.org
About the Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden
The Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden is a historic house museum in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The home was built in 1763 by John Moffatt for his son Samuel, who moved in with his new wife Sarah Catherine Moffatt in early 1764. Visitors learn about the home’s inhabitants, both free and enslaved, their connection to the eighteenth century Atlantic economy, and the evolution of how the home was used over the years. Please visit us at www.moffattladd.org and 603-430-7968 for more information.
