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Home Black History Stories Black History of the Seacoast
Black History of the Seacoast Print E-mail
Written by Various Authors   
Roots and Branches by Richard Haynes
STORIES RARELY TOLD

African American history in New Hampshire begins as early as 1645. Hundreds of blacks, enslaved and free, lived in the seacoast in the 1700s. Black men fought in the Revolution and the Civil War. Their stories are among the most popular on this web site. Articles are based on and inspired by the work of historian Valerie Cunningham and Mark Sammons, authors of the upcoming book "Black Portsmouth".
See all articles

 

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"Roots and Branches" artwork
© Richard Haynes. Jr 

First time visitor? Start with these articles:
First Blacks Of Portsmouth
Tour the Black Heritage Trail Online

BUY THE NEW BOOK: Black Portsmouth 


OUR BLACK HISTORY ARTICLES LIST ONLINE
The fullest black history coverage of any American Community

NEW: Untangling the Prince Whipple Legend

Guess Who Came to Dinner
Civil RIghts Action Celebrated
Integrating the Wentworth in 1964

Make this a Hallowed Place
Burying Ground is a rare opportunity for Portsmouth to come to terms with the past

In Search of Primus Fowle
NH's first black printer was praised, but enslaved

A Child Out of Place
Interview with children's book author Pat Wall

The Coffins Under the Street
Could this be the long lost Negro Burying Ground?

Lost Black Cemetery Discovered? 
The day the news broke with exclusive photos

Richard Potter, First US Magician
His father was white, his mother a former slave

Maine's "Visible" Black History
A new web site and book focus on Portland, ME

NH's First Black Congregation
The story of the newly reconstructed Pearl of Portsmouth

Beneath the Underground Railroad in New England
Largely a case of blacks helping blacks

Frederick Douglass Comes to Town
A little known tale of the famous Abolitionist

Langdon Family Slaves
Domestic and farm workers in Portsmouth's #1 family

Warner House Slaves
Three famous owners all practiced slavery

The Church and Portsmouth Slaves
How did a northern church treat local slaves?

Slaves of the William Pitt Tavern
The Stavers family hosted royalists andrevolutionaries -- and owned slaves.

Slavery in Portsmouth
When 61 slaves arrived here in 1755 it was business as usual for NH

The Morning Star of Dover
A white abolitionist newspaper struggles to be heard in 19th century Seacoast NH

Whittier's Anti-Slavery Ode to NH
Poet John Greenleaf Whittier praised NH for its abolitionist stand in 1846. But did we deserve it?

"Lost Boundaries" Movie Summary
The most complete plot summary of NH's ground-breaking 1949 race film.

50 Year Old Movie Press Release
See the original ad and read the 1949 release

The Making of "Lost Boundaries"
All about the 1949 NH docu-drama on race and prejudice by Louis de Rochemont.

"Thirst for Freedom" Tells Runaway Tale
Photos from a play about Ona Judge Staines

We Get US Post Office "Stamp of Approval"
SeacoastNH.com wins government diversity award

Black Heroes, White Poets
Two local authors focus on little known tales

Ona, Runaway Slave of George Washington
She was Martha’s body slave, until she ran to Seacoast NH

Migrant Worker Paintings by Richard Haynes
An exclusive look at a new gallery

Brewster on Prince & Cuffee Whipple
They were popular members of local society

NH Slave Stories Thrive Online
Portsmouth black history outdraws all our topics

"Black Jacks" Exclusive Interview
UNH Prof. Jeff Bolster releases first comprehensive history of African American mariners in the Age of Sail.

NH's "Colored Patriots Of The Revolution"
Excerpt from the landmark 1855 history book of black Revolutionary War heroes and author bio.

First Blacks Of Portsmouth (Part 1)
Valerie Cunningham traces African American history from 1645 through the first harsh century of slavery.

First Blacks Of Portsmouth (Part 2)
Limited freedom came slowly. Valerie Cunningham discusses emancipation, the "Negro Court," and the lives of Portsmouth's expanding black population.

Prince Whipple
An unsung Revolutionary War hero of Portsmouth is pictured in "Crossing the Delaware" with George Washington.

Slavery In Portsmouth
Charles W. Brewster's 1800s view of slavery is far from politically correct today, but it is one of the few records remaining.

Black Heritage Trail
Still a work in progress, this stirring catalog of places, people and times in Portsmouth is finally finding its way into the history of our region.

The Portsmouth Elders
Five selections from Valerie Cunningham's oral history of long time black residents of Portsmouth.

American Jazz Gallery by Richard Haynes
Portsmouth’s premier painter plays on

 

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Portsmouth Herald

Portsmouth Herald Latest Headlines
Portsmouth Herald News from SeacoastOnline.com
  • Alleged carjacker burglarized officer's home, police say

    NORTH HAMPTON — A Maine man remains behind bars without bail on fugitive charges and also faces a $1 million cash bail on charges that he burglarized the home of...

  • Portsmouth police log

    8:21 a.m. Report taken from a resident who wanted to press charges against a friend who had borrowed, but not returned a car.10:34 a.m. Durgin Lane caller reported a...

  • Grandmother smoked crack before high-speed chase, manhunt, say police

    PORTSMOUTH — A Boston grandmother had been smoking crack Friday night before the car she was riding in crashed into a Seabrook police cruiser, sped up Route 1 at 100...

  • Smuttynose owner sees growth, expansion

    If you want to see what a company looks like at a time of rapid growth, visit Smuttynose Brewing Co. on Heritage Avenue in Portsmouth.

  • Penguin Plunge raises $571K for Special Olympics

    HAMPTON — Against all human instinct, more than 1,000 Granite Staters took a dip in the Hampton Beach waters for the 11th Annual Penguin Plunge this past weekend.

  • Historic building's renovation raises ire

    SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — As construction continues at 25 Academy St., several residents have voiced concern over the style of the building's front facade, stating the original historic home had...

  • Middle school program recognizes effort, conduct

    PORTSMOUTH — Tien Peduzzi ripped open his third term report card last Wednesday with trepidation.

  • Federal farming bill supports agriculture

    RYE — The 2008 U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Bill offers New Hampshire citizens owning or managing farmland or forest land, growing specialty crops, running a greenhouse, or farming organically,...

  • Seacoast area municipal meetings

    Today in Portsmouth:Cultural Commission - Art Speak, 6:30 p.m., City Manager's Conference Room, City HallCity Council, Capital Improvement Plan workshop, 6:30 p.m., Eileen Dondero Foley Council Chambers, City Hall

  • Pats fans root for Saints

    PORTSMOUTH — Roy Schluntz of North Berwick, Maine, is a New England Patriots fan through and through. So when he couldn't root for his team this year in the Super...

  • Portsmouth news briefs

    PORTSMOUTH — I Eat Locally, a Web site offering half-price gift certificates to about a dozen Seacoast restaurants, has chosen Families First Health and Support Center to receive a portion...

  • City Council to hold work session on capital improvement plan

    PORTSMOUTH — A city spending plan totaling more than $186 million over the course of the next six years will be presented to the City Council tonight, but the council...

  • Rye to buy Goss Farm for $1.3M

    RYE — A piece of the town's past may become a fixture of the future as the Board of Selectmen agreed to a purchase and sale agreement for the development...

  • Alleged carjackers to appear in court today

    STRATHAM — Two Maine residents are scheduled to be arraigned this morning in Hampton District Court on multiple felony charges, including the alleged Feb. 5 carjacking of a Stratham resident...

  • SAD 35 crunches numbers

    SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — There was an audible sigh of relief as the School Administrative District 35 School Board learned last week that the projected reduction in state subsidy would...

  • TIF district mulled in South Berwick

    SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — As the town considers its options for creating a Tax Increment Finance district, representatives from several town departments joined Town Manager John Schempf at a presentation...

  • Sen. D'Allesandro renews push for video slots in New Hampshire

    CONCORD — Senate Finance Chairman Lou D'Allesandro has tried unsuccessfully a dozen times in as many years to get reluctant New Hampshire lawmakers to expand gambling.

  • Celtics overtaken by Magic

    BOSTON — The Orlando Magic needed less than 48 hours to go from a terrible third quarter to a terrific one.

  • Web site for recycled building stock starts today

    Not long ago, I wrote about the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Dover, a very cool place where people can find recycled and overstocked building material. And one of my...

  • York County news briefs

    OGUNQUIT, Maine — The Lincoln Day Dinner, held by the York County Republican Committee, will be held Thursday, Feb. 25, at Jonathan's Restaurant, 92 Bourne Lane. The event begins at...

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Tuesday, February 09, 2010 
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