Thirst for Freedom: From NH’s Slave Trade to its Civil Rights Movement

Port of Entry: Boys and Girls for Sale

Black Heritage Trail of NH Main Office 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH, United States

Tour Guides: Rekha Mahadevan or Laramie Wilson Local newspapers carried merchants’ ads for ships returning to the port of Portsmouth laden with cargo from trade ports on the West Coast of Africa, the West Indies, and the middle Atlantic coastal cities of Colonial America. Visit local wharves and auction sites related to the Atlantic Slave Trade, where a captive could be exchanged for “cash or good lumber” to serve in the master’s house or work on the docks or aboard…

Andover Marker Unveiling

Andover Historical Society's Old Time Fair 105 Depot Street, Andover, NH, United States

The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire and the Andover Historical Society are excited to announce the dedication of a new marker commemorating the life and works of celebrated Black ventriloquist and magician Richard Potter. The ceremony will be on Sunday, August 7, at 10:30 AM, at the Andover Historical Society’s Old Time Fair. Fairgrounds will be open 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM at Potter Place on 105 Depot Street in Andover NH. The event is free and open to…

The Lies We Were Taught: The Black Family

Black Heritage Trail of NH Main Office 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH, United States

Sankofa Tour Guide: Daniel Comly At the turn of the 19th century, Black abolitionists are changing public attitudes about slavery and challenging racial bias in the courts. In Portsmouth, never enslaved and newly freed Black adults share households with still enslaved children and elders. It is a time of possibilities, hope, and tension. True stories about these families will describe how a community of African refugees were claiming their place as Americans.

A Quest to Thrive: Economics of Slavery & Portsmouth’s Early Black Community

Black Heritage Trail of NH Main Office 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH, United States

Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Angela Matthews Institutionalized slavery in Colonial America provided immense wealth and material culture to many European immigrants and their descendants in the Americas, as Portsmouth’s house museums bear witness. This tour brings into focus an economic system dependent upon the international slave trade with its constant supply of kidnapped unpaid African workers and their descendants, who, against the odds, created one of this country’s oldest Black communities.

Thirst for Freedom: From NH’s Slave Trade to its Civil Rights Movement

Black Heritage Trail of NH Main Office 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH, United States

Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop Colonial Portsmouth newspapers testify to the local slave trade, runaways, abolitionists, and anti-abolitionist activities, followed by conflicting opinions of the Civil War. In the 20th century, the legacy of that early history was reflected in news about de facto segregation in housing and public places. This tour includes many of those historic landmarks from the early nineteenth through the twentieth centuries.

Meet Jack Stains, a “Black Jack” in Old Portsmouth: A Living History Tour

Black Heritage Trail of NH Main Office 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH, United States

Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Kevin Wade Mitchel as Jack Staines Seafaring was one of the most significant occupations among both enslaved and free Black men between 1740 and 1865. Black seamen sailed on whalers, warships, and privateers. Some were enslaved and forced to work at sea, but by 1800 most seamen were free to seek adventure and economic opportunity aboard ship. On this tour, you will meet Jack Staines, husband to Ona Judge Staines, the President, and Martha Washington’s…

Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH

Black Heritage Trail of NH Main Office 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH, United States

Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Martino During the Spring of 1796, George Washington’s final months in office, Ona Judge, an enslaved woman owned by the First Family, escaped the Executive Mansion in Philadelphia with the aid of that city’s free Black community and made her way to Portsmouth. On this tour, you will hear the true story of Ona’s quest for freedom and the President’s relentless efforts to get her back. See the waterfront where she lands and visit…

Ain’t She A Woman: Let Me Tell You Her Story

Black Heritage Trail of NH Main Office 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH, United States

Sankofa Tour Guide: Valerie Fagin Can you imagine the hustle and bustle of a prosperous colonial seaport town? This tour invites you to discover the world of early Portsmouth from the perspective of African American women. In spite of enslavement and hardship, these women fought for freedom, defied a sitting president, and educated generations of children to follow. Hear their stories about love and faith and struggle, as you walk past the homes of the families who enslaved them.

The Lies We Were Taught: The Black Family

Black Heritage Trail of NH Main Office 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH, United States

Sankofa Tour Guide: Daniel Comly At the turn of the 19th century, Black abolitionists are changing public attitudes about slavery and challenging racial bias in the courts. In Portsmouth, never enslaved and newly freed Black adults share households with still enslaved children and elders. It is a time of possibilities, hope, and tension. True stories about these families will describe how a community of African refugees were claiming their place as Americans.

Asserting Freedom: A Tour of Cellar Holes & Sites in Hancock, NH

Hancock Town Offices 50 Main Street, Hancock, NH, United States

September 10 | 10:00am | Tour Guide: Eric Aldrich Hancock, a quintessential New England village, defies the march of time. At first glance, this little village seems to be slumbering away quite peacefully. However, buried just beneath the colonial veneer of this seemingly all-white town is a vibrant history of early Black settlers who worked, bought land, built homes, challenged the church, and struggled for freedom. Tour meets in front of the Hancock Town Offices, 50 Main Street,

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.

Contact Info

Mail: 222 Court Street, Portsmouth NH 03801
Phone: 603-570-8469
Email: info@blackheritagetrailnh.org
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M - F 10 - 4 pm

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