This webpage is a work in progress with new research and resources added often. Please check back often. If you have research or ideas of what should be included, please contact us at info@marbleheadmuseum.org.
Land Acknowledgement
We recognize that this land was home to the Naumkeag band of the Massachusett/Pawtucket Tribes. For centuries this community moved through and lived upon this land. They followed the seasons, hunted, fished, raised families, grieved for their dead, nourished their living, shared the stories of their ancestors and considered themselves the caretakers of this area. I ask you to join me in acknowledging the Massachusett/Pawtucket community, their elders both past and present, as well as future generations. Marblehead Museum also acknowledges that it was founded upon exclusions and erasures of many Indigenous peoples, including those on whose land this institution is located. The Marblehead Museum is committed to beginning the process of working to dismantle the ongoing legacies of colonialism. The Marblehead Museum is also committed to incorporating the study and dissemination of this land’s Native History into its mission.
Public Signage Highlighting the BIPOC History of Marblehead
In 2023, Marblehead Museum installed 3 interpretive signs detailing individuals, events, and locations related to Marblehead's BIPOC history.
A Glimpse into the History of Free and Enslaved Individuals in Marblehead: A Self-Guided Walking Tour
The stories and contributions of People of Color in Marblehead are many. This
tour seeks to provide just a glimpse into some of the most fascinating individuals
who have lived, worked, or visited Marblehead through the centuries.
The Free and Enslaved People of Color in Marblehead Online Database
The goal of this database is to not only identify as many BIPOC who lived and/or worked in Marblehead up to the end of the 19th century as possible, but also to tell their personal stories and provide access to primary source documentation whenever possible. The Marblehead Museum is dedicated to researching the lives and impact of these individuals and will be added to the database as new information is discovered.
1730 Curfew for Enslaved Africans and "Indians"
In 1730, the Selectmen voted to establish a 9pm curfew for enslaved individuals.
1788 Warning Out of the Town's Black Inhabitants
In 1788, the Selectmen formed a committee to compile a list of "African and negro" inhabitants and then warn them to depart.
Joseph and Lucretia Brown: The Real Story
A presentation by Lauren McCormack and Robin Taylor examining the myths and realities of two of Marblehead's legendary individuals of Color.
Annotated Timeline of Abolitionism and the Underground Railroad
This fully annotated timeline is designed for research use.
Highlights of Abolition and the Underground Railroad
This illustrated timeline highlights key events in the history of the abolitionist movement and Underground Railroad in Marblehead. It is suitable for classroom use and as a quick reference.
"The First Inhabitants of Marblehead" by Donald A. Doliber
Written by Town Historian, Donald A. Doliber in 1999 for the 350th annviersary of the town's founding, this short article provides an overview of the area's original, Native inhabitants, as well as the effect of European contact and settlement.
"Native American Encampment, Burial, and Work Areas in Marblehead," a map by Donald A. Doliber
Researched and produced by Town Historian, Donald A. Doliber in 1999, this hand-drawn map is based on Doliber's research of the Native history of this land.
Newspaper Notices: Sale of Enslaved People and Self-Liberating ("Runaway") Advertisements
Apologists for northern slavery often cite how content or well-treated enslaved people were. Yet the prevalence of newspaper notices seeking runaway/self-liberated people prove the opposite. In addition, slave owners placed newspaper ads to sell or rent out enslaved individuals in the same columns in which they sold or rented homes or goods. This page contains examples of these advertisements.
Ship Desire, William Peirce, Master - The First Ship To Bring Enslaved People into the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Built in Marblehead in 1636, this 120-ton vessel is commonly believe to be one of the earliest, if not the first, ships to bring enslaved Africans into the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The papers and journals of John Winthrop provide the only extant contemporaneous information of the vessel and its connections to the slave trade.
Agnes, Servant
Agnes was a Black Woman enslaved by Samuel Russell in the late 17th, early 18th century. She was buried with the family at Old Burial Hill, but her gravestone was stolen in the late 20th century. Learn more with this student-produced video and see images of the original stone.
Joseph & Lucretia Brown ("Black Joe" & "Aunt Creese")
Swathed in lore, the true story of Joseph and Lucretia Brown is just as fascinating as the mythology.
Frederick Douglass in Marblehead
Once a hot bed of anti-slavery activity, Marblehead hosted one of the most recognizable faces of the abolitionist movement, possibly on two occasions.
The Jubilee Singers Visit Marblehead
A 9-member choral ensemble from Fisk University, the first American university to offer a liberal arts education to “young men and women irrespective of color,” the Jubilee Singers began performing around the country in 1871 to raise money to support the struggling university. Soon they were in demand, performing at large and important venues, including the White House, and touring Europe. The group still exists and performs today. Learn more about the Jubilee Singers HERE.
Town Records related to BIPOC
The town records are kept by the Town Clerk, but some are available online at familysearch.org. Note: prior to 1649, Marblehead was part of Salem and the city has records related to the pre-incorporation time period.
Vital Records and Tax Lists
Begin a search for individuals, look for trends, and more using these records.
Census Records and Populations
Begin a search for individuals, look for trends, and more using these records.
"Notes on Slaves and Slavery" by Samuel Roads, Jr.
Transcriptions of advertisements in 18th century newspapers for the sale of enslaved individuals and escaped slaves (runaways). Also some notes on slavery in Massachusetts in general.
Recordings of "The History of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in Marblehead: A Legacy of Slavery, Soldiers, Speakers, and Secret Agents"
A two-part zoom presentation by Ginny Von Rueden, sponsored by the Marblehead Museum and Abbot Library, at the Abbot Public Library in January 2022.
The Underground Railroad: A Marblehead Racial Justice Team Inclusive History Project Video
James Fountaine (Fountain): A Marblehead Racial Justice Team Inclusive History Project Video
Further Reading - Marblehead
The History and Traditions of Marblehead. Samuel Roads, Jr. The 1897 edition includes additional information, including detailed appendices and history of people of color and native peoples.
Virginia Clegg Gamage & Priscilla Sawyer Lord. Marblehead: The Spirit of '76 Lives Here. Chilton Book Company, 1972.
Bibliography - Related Resources
Adams, Catherine and Pleck, Elizabeth H. Love of Freedom: Black Women in Colonial and Revolutionary New England. Oxford University Press, 2010.
Bly, Antonio T. “Pretty, Sassy, Cool: Slave Resistance, Agency, and Culture in Eighteenth-Century New England.” The New England Quarterly. Vol. 89, No. 3 (September 2016). pp. 457-492.
Bolster, W. Jeffrey. Black Jacks: African American Seamen in the Age of Sail. Harvard University Press, 1998.
Geake, Robert A. From Slaves to Soldiers: The 1st Rhode Island Regiment in the American Revolution. Westholme, 2016.
Greene, Lorenzo J. The Negro in Colonial New England, 1620-1776. Columbia University Press, 1942. Reprinted Martino Fine Books, 2017.
Hardesty, Jared Ross. Black Lives, Native Lands, White Worlds: A History of Slavery in New England. University of Massachusetts Press, 2019.
Heyrman, Christine Leigh. Commerce and Culture: The Maritime Communities of Colonial Massachusetts, 1690-1750. W.W. Norton & Co., 1984.
Maskiell, Nicole Saffold. Bound by Bondage: Slavery and the Creation of a Northern Gentry. Cornell University Press, 2022.
Manegold, C.S. Ten Hills Farm: The Forgotten History of Slavery in the North. Princeton University Press, 2011.
Melish, Joanne Pope. Disowning Slavery: Gradual Emancipation and “Race” in New England, 1780-1860. Cornell University Press, 1988.
O’Donnell, Patrick K. The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2021.
Piersen, William D. Black Yankees: The Development of an Afro-American Subculture in Eighteenth-Century New England. University of Massachusetts Press, 1988.
Sesay Jr., Chernoh M. “The Revolutionary Black Roots of Slavery’s Abolition in Massachusetts,” New England Quarterly. Vol. 87, No. 1 (March 2014). pp. 99–131.
Thomas, Felicia Y. “'Fit for Town or Country': Black Women and Work in Colonial Massachusetts," The Journal of African American History, Vol 105, No 2 (Spring 2020).
Van Buskitck, Judith L. African American Patriots in the American Revolution. University of Oklahoma Press, 2017.
Vickers, Daniel. Farmers & Fishermen: Two Centuries of Work in Essex County, Massachusetts, 1630-1850. Omohundro Institute and University of North Carolina Press, 1994.
Warren, Wendy. New England Bound: Slavery and Colonization in Early America. W.W. Norton & Co., 2016.
Whiting, Gloria McCahon. “Power, Patriarchy, and Provision: African Families Negotiate Gender and Slavery in New England,” Journal of American History. Vol. 103, No. 3 (December 2016). pp. 583–605.