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

Prince Whipple and the 1779 Petition: A Living History Tour

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

Experience a unique journey into history with our Living History Tour. Get an intimate understanding of Prince Whipple, the brave men who stood with him in signing the Petition of Freedom, and his personal insights into the debates for Independence and his service in the NH militia. The tour takes you to significant sites of his life after freedom, including his family home and the First Ladies African Charitable School established by his wife Dinah. Discover the lesser-known side of…

Port of Entry: Boys and Girls for Sale

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

Local newspapers carried merchants’ ads for ships returning to the port of Portsmouth laden with cargo from Atlantic Slave Trade ports on the West Coast of Africa, the West Indies, and the Atlantic coastal cities of Colonial America from Maine to Louisiana. 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.…

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

Seafaring was one of the most significant occupations among both enslaved and free Black men between 1740 and 1865 when Black mariners sailed on whalers, warships, and privateers. Some were enslaved and forced to work at sea, but by 1800, most seamen were free, legally or by self-emancipation, to seek adventure and economic opportunity aboard ship. On this tour, you will meet Jack Staines, husband to Ona Judge Staines, who was enslaved by the President and Martha Washington, and experience…

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

Can you imagine the hustle and bustle of a prosperous colonial seaport town? This interactive tour invites you to discover the world of past and present Portsmouth from the perspective of African-born and next generations of African American women. Learn how, in spite of enslavement and burdens of racial discrimination, these pioneers of change fought for justice and freedom, defied a sitting United States president, and educated generations of children. Hear the stories and celebrate the resilience, versatility, and courage…

Prince Whipple and the 1779 Petition: A Living History Tour

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

Experience a unique journey into history with our Living History Tour. Get an intimate understanding of Prince Whipple, the brave men who stood with him in signing the Petition of Freedom, and his personal insights into the debates for Independence and his service in the NH militia. The tour takes you to significant sites of his life after freedom, including his family home and the First Ladies African Charitable School established by his wife Dinah. Discover the lesser-known side of…

Not a Slave, yet not Free: Harriet E. Wilson and the Abolition Movement

1 Union Sq, Milford, NH.

Harriet E. Wilson was the first known African American to publish a novel on the North American continent. Born a free person of color in New Hampshire, Wilson was orphaned when young and bound as an indentured servant until the age of 18. Follow a trail to places where the child-servant went as she was growing up and where she struggled to make a living. Learn about Harriet's only son, George, who died in a poor house while she was…

Exploring Hancock’s Black History: A Hike to Jack’s Pond

Harris Center for Conservation Education 83 King's Highway, Hancock, NH, United States

Nestled below the summits of Mount Skatutakee and Thumb Mountain in Hancock, NH, Jack's Pond is a remote and inspiring place. It is named after Jack, a formerly enslaved man who became free and lived near the pond from the late 1700s until his death in 1826. The pond and surrounding land are now protected and managed by the Harris Center for Conservation Education. Sankofa Tour Guide: Eric Aldrich.  Meeting Place: The Harris Center for Conservation Education, 83 King's Highway,…

Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH: A Living History Tour

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

During President George Washington’s final months in office, a woman named Ona Marie Judge was enslaved in the household of the First Family. In the spring of 1775, she sought her freedom, escaping from the Washingtons' executive mansion in Philadelphia with the aid of that city’s free Black community and making her way to Portsmouth. On this tour, you will hear the true story of Judge’s quest for freedom and the President’s relentless efforts to get her back. See the…

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

Can you imagine the hustle and bustle of a prosperous colonial seaport town? This interactive tour invites you to discover the world of past and present Portsmouth from the perspective of African-born and next generations of African American women. Learn how, in spite of enslavement and burdens of racial discrimination, these pioneers of change fought for justice and freedom, defied a sitting United States president, and educated generations of children. Hear the stories and celebrate the resilience, versatility, and courage…

A Small New Hampshire Town Remembers Its Black History

The corner of Main Street and Kearsarge Mountain Road.

Historians Rebecca Courser and Lynn Clark will take us on a journey in Warner, NH that commemorates and makes visible the town’s Black community dating back to the 1700s. Meeting Place: The corner of Main Street and Kearsarge Mountain Road. Sankofa Tour Guides: Rebecca Courser & Lynn Clark 

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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