Black Portsmouth: Three Centuries of African-American Heritage

SKU: 1584652896

Few people think of a rich Black heritage when they think of New England. In this pioneering book, Mark J. Sammons and Valerie Cunningham celebrate it, guiding the reader through more than three centuries of New England and Portsmouth social, political, economic, and cultural history as well as scores of personal and site-specific stories. We meet such Africans as the "likely negro boys and girls from Gambia," who debarked at Portsmouth from a slave ship in 1758, and Prince Whipple, who fought in the American Revolution. We learn about their descendants, including the performer Richard Potter and John Tate of the People's Baptist Church, who overcame the tragedies and challenges of their ancestors' enslavement and subsequent marginalization to build communities and families, found institutions, and contribute to their city, Individual entries speak to broader issues—the anti-slavery movement, American religion, and foodways, for example. We also learn about the efforts being made to preserve remnants of Portsmouth ’s early Black heritage.

Authors: Mark J. Sammons and Valerie Cunningham
(Softcover)