2026 Portsmouth Guided Walking Tours
Walk Through History. Experience Stories That Changed New Hampshire.
Step into the streets of Portsmouth to uncover the powerful, often hidden stories of Black lives that shaped New Hampshire—from enslavement and resistance to freedom, legacy, and belonging.
More than just a tour, our trained Sankofa Scholars will take you on a journey that connects the past to the present and invites you to see history and your place in it differently.
Sankofa Tour Guides are specially trained interpreters who lead our tours through the lens of the Black experience. Inspired by the Akan principle of Sankofa—“go back and get it”—they recover and share overlooked histories, offering a deeper, more truthful understanding of New Hampshire’s past.
Portsmouth Guided Walking Tours
Tour Details
Duration: 90 minutes
Location: Portsmouth, NH (Starting at 222 Court Street)
Pricing:
Adults: $20
Seniors: $15
Youth: $10
Group Size: Up to 20 people
Walking Level: Moderate
Ona Judge Day Tour
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
In 2022, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed a bill that declared May 21 st to be Ona Judge Day. The declaration honors that day in 1796 on which Ona Maria Judge Staines left the residence of President George and Martha Washington in Philadelphia, boarded a ship to Portsmouth, and lived a long and dignified life in New Hampshire, free, but a fugitive.
On this special Ona Judge Day Tour, you will hear the true story of a young woman's quest for freedom. See the waterfront where Ona landed and visit the Portsmouth properties of some of America's most famous families - the Langdons, Warners, and Lears - whose stories are also bound to her incredible journey.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
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 waterfront where she lands and visit the properties of some of America’s most famous families: the Langdons, Whipples, and Lears, whose stories were also bound to hers.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Thirst for Freedom: From NH's Slave Trade to Its Civil Rights Movement
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop
Colonial Portsmouth newspapers testify to local involvement in the slave trade, runaway freedom-seekers, 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 locally in newspaper reports of the struggles to end de facto segregation in housing, employment, and public places. This tour includes many of those historic landmarks from the early seventeenth through the twentieth centuries.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Ain't She A Woman: Let Me Tell You Her Story
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Valerie Fagin
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 the 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 revealed in our shared seacoast his/herstory!
Ain't She A Woman: Let Me Tell You Her Story
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Valerie Fagin
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 the 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 revealed in our shared seacoast his/herstory!
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Prince Whipple and the 1779 Petition
Sankofa Tour Guide: Stanford Cross
Experience a unique journey into history on our Living History Tour. Get an intimate understanding of Prince Whipple, the brave men who stood with him in signing the Petition of Freedom, 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 Prince Whipple as an influential event manager.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Thirst for Freedom: From NH's Slave Trade to Its Civil Rights Movement
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop
Colonial Portsmouth newspapers testify to local involvement in the slave trade, runaway freedom-seekers, 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 locally in newspaper reports of the struggles to end de facto segregation in housing, employment, and public places. This tour includes many of those historic landmarks from the early seventeenth through the twentieth centuries.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
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 waterfront where she lands and visit the properties of some of America’s most famous families: the Langdons, Whipples, and Lears, whose stories were also bound to hers.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Ain't She A Woman: Let Me Tell You Her Story
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Lionel Loveless
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 the 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 revealed in our shared seacoast his/herstory!
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Prince Whipple and the 1779 Petition
Sankofa Tour Guide: Stanford Cross
Experience a unique journey into history on our Living History Tour. Get an intimate understanding of Prince Whipple, the brave men who stood with him in signing the Petition of Freedom, 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 Prince Whipple as an influential event manager.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
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 waterfront where she lands and visit the properties of some of America’s most famous families: the Langdons, Whipples, and Lears, whose stories were also bound to hers.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Thirst for Freedom: From NH's Slave Trade to Its Civil Rights Movement
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop
Colonial Portsmouth newspapers testify to local involvement in the slave trade, runaway freedom-seekers, 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 locally in newspaper reports of the struggles to end de facto segregation in housing, employment, and public places. This tour includes many of those historic landmarks from the early seventeenth through the twentieth centuries.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
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 waterfront where she lands and visit the properties of some of America’s most famous families: the Langdons, Whipples, and Lears, whose stories were also bound to hers.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Prince Whipple and the 1779 Petition
Sankofa Tour Guide: Stanford Cross
Experience a unique journey into history on our Living History Tour. Get an intimate understanding of Prince Whipple, the brave men who stood with him in signing the Petition of Freedom, 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 Prince Whipple as an influential event manager.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Ain't She A Woman: Let Me Tell You Her Story
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Lionel Loveless
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 the 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 revealed in our shared seacoast his/herstory!
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Thirst for Freedom: From NH's Slave Trade to Its Civil Rights Movement
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop
Colonial Portsmouth newspapers testify to local involvement in the slave trade, runaway freedom-seekers, 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 locally in newspaper reports of the struggles to end de facto segregation in housing, employment, and public places. This tour includes many of those historic landmarks from the early seventeenth through the twentieth centuries.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Sorry!
No items currently match your filtering criteria.
Ona Judge Day Tour
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
In 2022, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed a bill that declared May 21 st to be Ona Judge Day. The declaration honors that day in 1796 on which Ona Maria Judge Staines left the residence of President George and Martha Washington in Philadelphia, boarded a ship to Portsmouth, and lived a long and dignified life in New Hampshire, free, but a fugitive.
On this special Ona Judge Day Tour, you will hear the true story of a young woman's quest for freedom. See the waterfront where Ona landed and visit the Portsmouth properties of some of America's most famous families - the Langdons, Warners, and Lears - whose stories are also bound to her incredible journey.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
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 waterfront where she lands and visit the properties of some of America’s most famous families: the Langdons, Whipples, and Lears, whose stories were also bound to hers.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Thirst for Freedom: From NH's Slave Trade to Its Civil Rights Movement
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop
Colonial Portsmouth newspapers testify to local involvement in the slave trade, runaway freedom-seekers, 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 locally in newspaper reports of the struggles to end de facto segregation in housing, employment, and public places. This tour includes many of those historic landmarks from the early seventeenth through the twentieth centuries.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Ain't She A Woman: Let Me Tell You Her Story
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Valerie Fagin
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 the 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 revealed in our shared seacoast his/herstory!
Not a Slave, yet not Free: Harriet E. Wilson and the Abolition Movement
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 trying to survive as a widow.
Wilson's book was published in 1859 with her original title, a device to engage the reader in her fictionized autobiography, Our Nig; or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black, in a Two-Story White House, North, Showing that Slavery's Shadows Fall Even There. She wrote only one novel. Wilson went on to be known as a Spiritualist and was paid on the public lecture circuit to talk about her life.
Meeting Place: The Oval in Milford, NH.
Kittery's Black Yankees
This tour describes how Africans and their descendants, residents of a northern Atlantic port town, used their resilience and cultural traditions of mutual aid to establish one of Maine's earliest African American communities. You will hear stories about enslaved and freed people living here from colonial times and "Black Yankees" of the modern era, a history often ignored and rarely identified with the heritage of New England.
Meeting Place: Parking Lot of Lil's Cafe | 7 Wallingford Square, Downtown Kittery, ME.
Exploring Dover’s Black History Tour
Dover is steeped deep in rich Black history. On this tour, you'll hear about the people enslaved by the Waldron family and how the cotton mill built in Dover fueled slavery in the South. You'll discover the Brown/Mitchell family: Nellie Brown Mitchell (renowned Black opera singer), her brother Edward Brown, (lawyer, who submitted to Congress a petition for a national anti-lynching bill and first Black justice of the peace in New Hampshire), and her husband Charles Mitchell (Civil War hero and first Black person elected to the Massachusetts legislature).
Join us to discover their amazing stories of community, resilience, and courage.
Meeting Place: Woodman Museum | 15 Summer St, Dover, NH.
Ain't She A Woman: Let Me Tell You Her Story
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Valerie Fagin
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 the 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 revealed in our shared seacoast his/herstory!
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Not a Slave, yet not Free: Harriet E. Wilson and the Abolition Movement
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 trying to survive as a widow.
Wilson's book was published in 1859 with her original title, a device to engage the reader in her fictionized autobiography, Our Nig; or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black, in a Two-Story White House, North, Showing that Slavery's Shadows Fall Even There. She wrote only one novel. Wilson went on to be known as a Spiritualist and was paid on the public lecture circuit to talk about her life.
Meeting Place: The Oval in Milford, NH.
Prince Whipple and the 1779 Petition
Sankofa Tour Guide: Stanford Cross
Experience a unique journey into history on our Living History Tour. Get an intimate understanding of Prince Whipple, the brave men who stood with him in signing the Petition of Freedom, 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 Prince Whipple as an influential event manager.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Thirst for Freedom: From NH's Slave Trade to Its Civil Rights Movement
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop
Colonial Portsmouth newspapers testify to local involvement in the slave trade, runaway freedom-seekers, 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 locally in newspaper reports of the struggles to end de facto segregation in housing, employment, and public places. This tour includes many of those historic landmarks from the early seventeenth through the twentieth centuries.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
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 waterfront where she lands and visit the properties of some of America’s most famous families: the Langdons, Whipples, and Lears, whose stories were also bound to hers.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Ain't She A Woman: Let Me Tell You Her Story
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Lionel Loveless
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 the 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 revealed in our shared seacoast his/herstory!
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
A Walking Tour of Exeter’s Racial History
Walk in the footsteps of Exeter’s earlier generations and explore the racial history of the town -- the conflicts, concessions, and changes that have taken place over time and continue to shape its future. Learn about Exeter's legacy related to Atlantic slave trading and hear stories about African Americans who helped shape the town's history.
Learning Exeter’s history can contribute to a richer community dialogue about its present and future.
Meeting Place: Exeter Town Hall | 10 Front St, Exeter.
Prince Whipple and the 1779 Petition
Sankofa Tour Guide: Stanford Cross
Experience a unique journey into history on our Living History Tour. Get an intimate understanding of Prince Whipple, the brave men who stood with him in signing the Petition of Freedom, 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 Prince Whipple as an influential event manager.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
A Walking Tour of Exeter’s Racial History
Walk in the footsteps of Exeter’s earlier generations and explore the racial history of the town -- the conflicts, concessions, and changes that have taken place over time and continue to shape its future. Learn about Exeter's legacy related to Atlantic slave trading and hear stories about African Americans who helped shape the town's history.
Learning Exeter’s history can contribute to a richer community dialogue about its present and future.
Meeting Place: Exeter Town Hall | 10 Front St, Exeter.
Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
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 waterfront where she lands and visit the properties of some of America’s most famous families: the Langdons, Whipples, and Lears, whose stories were also bound to hers.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Kittery's Black Yankees
This tour describes how Africans and their descendants, residents of a northern Atlantic port town, used their resilience and cultural traditions of mutual aid to establish one of Maine's earliest African American communities. You will hear stories about enslaved and freed people living here from colonial times and "Black Yankees" of the modern era, a history often ignored and rarely identified with the heritage of New England.
Meeting Place: Parking Lot of Lil's Cafe | 7 Wallingford Square, Downtown Kittery, ME.
A Walking Tour of Exeter’s Racial History
Walk in the footsteps of Exeter’s earlier generations and explore the racial history of the town -- the conflicts, concessions, and changes that have taken place over time and continue to shape its future. Learn about Exeter's legacy related to Atlantic slave trading and hear stories about African Americans who helped shape the town's history.
Learning Exeter’s history can contribute to a richer community dialogue about its present and future.
Meeting Place: Exeter Town Hall | 10 Front St, Exeter.
Thirst for Freedom: From NH's Slave Trade to Its Civil Rights Movement
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop
Colonial Portsmouth newspapers testify to local involvement in the slave trade, runaway freedom-seekers, 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 locally in newspaper reports of the struggles to end de facto segregation in housing, employment, and public places. This tour includes many of those historic landmarks from the early seventeenth through the twentieth centuries.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Not a Slave, yet not Free: Harriet E. Wilson and the Abolition Movement
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 trying to survive as a widow.
Wilson's book was published in 1859 with her original title, a device to engage the reader in her fictionized autobiography, Our Nig; or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black, in a Two-Story White House, North, Showing that Slavery's Shadows Fall Even There. She wrote only one novel. Wilson went on to be known as a Spiritualist and was paid on the public lecture circuit to talk about her life.
Meeting Place: The Oval in Milford, NH.
Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
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 waterfront where she lands and visit the properties of some of America’s most famous families: the Langdons, Whipples, and Lears, whose stories were also bound to hers.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Prince Whipple and the 1779 Petition
Sankofa Tour Guide: Stanford Cross
Experience a unique journey into history on our Living History Tour. Get an intimate understanding of Prince Whipple, the brave men who stood with him in signing the Petition of Freedom, 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 Prince Whipple as an influential event manager.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Ain't She A Woman: Let Me Tell You Her Story
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Lionel Loveless
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 the 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 revealed in our shared seacoast his/herstory!
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Thirst for Freedom: From NH's Slave Trade to Its Civil Rights Movement
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop
Colonial Portsmouth newspapers testify to local involvement in the slave trade, runaway freedom-seekers, 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 locally in newspaper reports of the struggles to end de facto segregation in housing, employment, and public places. This tour includes many of those historic landmarks from the early seventeenth through the twentieth centuries.
Meeting Place: BHTNH Headquarters | 222 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH.
Sorry!
No items currently match your filtering criteria.
Ona Judge Day Tour
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
In 2022, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed a bill that declared May 21 st to be Ona ...
Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
During President George Washington’s final months in office, a woman named Ona Marie Judge ...
Thirst for Freedom: From NH's Slave Trade to Its Civil Rights Movement
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop
Colonial Portsmouth newspapers testify to local involvement in the slave trade, runaway ...
Ain't She A Woman: Let Me Tell You Her Story
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Valerie Fagin
Can you imagine the hustle and bustle of a prosperous colonial seaport town? This ...
Not a Slave, yet not Free: Harriet E. Wilson and the Abolition Movement
Harriet E. Wilson was the first known African American to publish a novel on the North American continent. ...
Kittery's Black Yankees
This tour describes how Africans and their descendants, residents of a northern Atlantic ...
Exploring Dover’s Black History Tour
Dover is steeped deep in rich Black history. On this tour, you'll hear about the people enslaved ...
Ain't She A Woman: Let Me Tell You Her Story
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Valerie Fagin
Can you imagine the hustle and bustle of a prosperous colonial seaport town? This ...
Not a Slave, yet not Free: Harriet E. Wilson and the Abolition Movement
Harriet E. Wilson was the first known African American to publish a novel on the North American continent. ...
Prince Whipple and the 1779 Petition
Sankofa Tour Guide: Stanford Cross
Experience a unique journey into history on our Living History Tour. Get an intimate understanding of ...
Thirst for Freedom: From NH's Slave Trade to Its Civil Rights Movement
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop
Colonial Portsmouth newspapers testify to local involvement in the slave trade, runaway ...
Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
During President George Washington’s final months in office, a woman named Ona Marie Judge ...
Ain't She A Woman: Let Me Tell You Her Story
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Lionel Loveless
Can you imagine the hustle and bustle of a prosperous colonial seaport town? This ...
A Walking Tour of Exeter’s Racial History
Walk in the footsteps of Exeter’s earlier generations and explore the racial history of the town -- the ...
Prince Whipple and the 1779 Petition
Sankofa Tour Guide: Stanford Cross
Experience a unique journey into history on our Living History Tour. Get an intimate understanding of ...
A Walking Tour of Exeter’s Racial History
Walk in the footsteps of Exeter’s earlier generations and explore the racial history of the town -- the ...
Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
During President George Washington’s final months in office, a woman named Ona Marie Judge ...
Kittery's Black Yankees
This tour describes how Africans and their descendants, residents of a northern Atlantic ...
A Walking Tour of Exeter’s Racial History
Walk in the footsteps of Exeter’s earlier generations and explore the racial history of the town -- the ...
Thirst for Freedom: From NH's Slave Trade to Its Civil Rights Movement
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop
Colonial Portsmouth newspapers testify to local involvement in the slave trade, runaway ...
Not a Slave, yet not Free: Harriet E. Wilson and the Abolition Movement
Harriet E. Wilson was the first known African American to publish a novel on the North American continent. ...
Lives Bound Together: The Washingtons & Ona Marie Judge in NH
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Sonya Arroyo
During President George Washington’s final months in office, a woman named Ona Marie Judge ...
Prince Whipple and the 1779 Petition
Sankofa Tour Guide: Stanford Cross
Experience a unique journey into history on our Living History Tour. Get an intimate understanding of ...
Ain't She A Woman: Let Me Tell You Her Story
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Lionel Loveless
Can you imagine the hustle and bustle of a prosperous colonial seaport town? This ...
Thirst for Freedom: From NH's Slave Trade to Its Civil Rights Movement
Sankofa Scholar & Tour Guide: Nur Shoop
Colonial Portsmouth newspapers testify to local involvement in the slave trade, runaway ...
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Tour Guides
A Quest to Thrive: Economics of Slavery & Portsmouth's Early Black Community; Black Soldiers and the American Revolution
On Saturday Night We Were Husband and Wife: The Black Family
Exploring Dover's Black History
Volunteer, Warner Historical Society
Thirst for Freedom: From NH's Slave Trade to its Civil Rights Movement; Portsmouth Greenbook Tour
Researcher, Merrimack County
Port of Entry: Boys and Girls for Sale
Prince Whipple and the 1779 Petition
Ain't She a Woman: Let Me Tell You Her Story
Unless otherwise stated, all guided tours will start at 222 Court Street in Portsmouth.
Please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to departure time. If you do not arrive 5 minutes before departure time, your spot may be given to another participant. Tours typically take 90 minutes.
Registration is required prior to taking tours. If you have not pre-registered, and if there is space available, we will register you onsite to join the tour.
There is a maximum of 20 participants per tour.
Accessibility & Safety
Accessibility: This tour takes place on Portsmouth’s historic streets, which include narrow sidewalks and cobblestone surfaces that can be uneven.
If you have mobility concerns or specific accessibility needs, we encourage you to reach out. We are committed to making this experience as accessible and welcoming as possible.
Safety: For your health and the safety of our guests, if you have any of the following symptoms, we ask that you refrain from joining a guided tour: Cough, Difficulty Breathing, Shortness of Breath, Fever, Chills.