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

Sankofa Walking Tour: Creating A Family Life

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. Register Online

$20

Sankofa Walking Tour: Meet Jack Stains, a “Black Jack” in Historic 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…

$20

Sankofa Walking Tour: Creating A Family Life

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. Register Online

$20

Sankofa Walking Tour: Black Children in Colonial Portsmouth: Stories of Everyday Life. (Warner House)

Warner House 150 Daniel St., Portsmouth, NH

Sankofa Scholar: Patricia Wall Hear the stories of Black children's work life and living conditions in town and on the farm, by author and storyteller Patricia Wall. Learn how captive child servants experienced Election Day celebrations, funerals, slave auctions, the Revolutionary War, and more. This tour is from 11 am to noon for children 8 & up. Register Online NOTE: Tour meets at 11am at Warner House, 150 Daniel Street, Portsmouth NH

$20

Sankofa Walking Tour: 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. Register Online

$20

Sankofa Walking Tour: 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. Register…

$20

Sankofa Walking Tour: Port of Entry: Boys and Girls for Sale

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

Sankofa Tour Guide: Jubilee Byfield 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 a ship.…

$20

Sankofa Walking Tour: 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: Tammi Truax 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…

$20

Portsmouth Trolley Tour: And Still We Rise: From Slavery to Redlining & MLK

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

A 90-minute overview of the Black Heritage Trail is just right for a first visit to Portsmouth or for those who prefer an alternative to a walking tour. Our well-trained and experienced Sankofa Scholars tell the stories of Black people from 1645, as they arrived on the colonial-era wharves lining the waterfront, until the year 2000 when New Hampshire joined 49 other states by adopting the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Unless otherwise noted, Portsmouth trolley tours meet at…

$25

Sankofa Walking Tour: 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. Register Online

$20
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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Office Hours:
M - F 10 - 4 pm

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