Unforgotten: 海角换妻's Hidden History of Slavery
It鈥檚 a history lesson many of us didn鈥檛 get in school: Slavery has deep roots in 海角换妻 and across New England. Enslaved people helped build the foundation of much of this state.
Get to know some of these men, women and children and the lives they lived. Hear from descendants who reflect on their loved ones. And learn from historians, experts and volunteers going on a journey of discovery to uncover this hidden history.
It's part of Unforgotten: 海角换妻's Hidden History of Slavery 鈥� a special series from 海角换妻, featuring radio storytelling, in-depth videos, digital stories, pictures, a podcast, a television special and a community conversation.
Chapter 1: A history lesson
Think slavery didn鈥檛 happen in the North? Think again. Slavery has deep roots in 海角换妻. It started in the 1600s. Meet the people who are helping shed light on this history and why it matters.
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Chapter 2: 'A family I didn鈥檛 know that I had'
A phone call leads to a surprise: A family learns their ancestors were enslaved in 海角换妻. This discovery gave them an extended family, as well as 鈥渁 sense of ownership and a sense of belonging.鈥� It also reshaped their view of patriotism.
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Chapter 3: Keeping Venture鈥檚 story alive
Venture Smith鈥檚 18th-century narrative is the earliest published narrative of slavery in the Americas. More people are learning about him in part because his descendants are working to keep his story alive. 鈥淭he history of enslaved people, it鈥檚 out there. It鈥檚 just not uncovered.鈥�
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Chapter 4: A musician鈥檚 melodies come back to life
It's a story of mystery and music. An enslaved man鈥檚 music was hidden for centuries. Go on a journey to rediscover Sawney Freeman鈥檚 music 鈥� tucked away in a library 鈥� and hear it performed today.
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Chapter 5: Teenagers help carry these stories forward
As 海角换妻 learns more about its ties to slavery, efforts are underway to ensure the stories live on 鈥� through students.
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Send us your feedback
Share your thoughts on the stories in this series via email at unforgotten@ctpublic.org. Learn more about how and why we prepared this series.
Unforgetting 鈥� Restoring and Reclaiming 海角换妻鈥檚 Hidden Histories
A panel of experts talks about efforts to uncover long-ignored stories and recalibrate our understanding of 海角换妻鈥檚 historical involvement with slavery. This community conversation took place in March 2024 at the 海角换妻 Museum of Culture and History in Hartford.
