slavery in Massachusetts

After months of discussion, a proposed holiday to mark the end of slavery in Massachusetts is one step closer to becoming law. At the end of October, both branches of the state legislature passed a bill that would mark July 8 as “Emancipation Day.”

“Here Lies Darby Vassall” is a co-production between the historic Christ Church on Garden Street and Harvard University’s Critical Conservation program that explores the history of enslaved people in the area that helped build not only the church, but also the city and region.

The Boston City Council last week unanimously approved a measure to “acknowledge, condemn and apologize for the role played by the City of Boston in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

The notion that Boston should apologize for the slave trade is misguided. And to suggest that Boston might be at all liable for reparations is absurd.

Cuffy Rosaria deserves folk hero status in his Massachusetts hometown of Abington; he has the rare distinction of appearing both in a runaway slave ad and in Revolutionary War muster rolls.

The ‘outbuilding’ as it’s referred to, at 42-44 Shirley Street, blends into the other residential structures on the street with modern roofing and windows, and a plain beige exterior. However, after speculation based on archival records of the Shirley-Eustis property, an investigation by Harvard scholar Aabid Allibhai revealed the unassuming building may be holding valuable historic secrets.

Wayne Tucker’s Eleven Names Project blog details the extent to which the institution of slavery permeated colonial New England.