Program: “History of Hudson Valley Enslavement”

Please join together on Sunday, January 13 as we remember the anniversary of Martin Luther King Junior’s birth and come to a better understanding of the history of oppression of people of color in the Hudson River Valley.

Did you know!
That the first non-indigenous settler on Manhattan was a man of African descent?
That the variety of African nationalities in colonial NY equaled or surpassed the number of European nationalities represented?
That numerous plantations flourished on both banks of the Hudson River?
That enslavement in NY lasted about 200 years while freedom in NY has been around for only 180 years?
That during the 18th century, one tenth of Westchester’s population was enslaved and in Manhattan, one person in five was enslaved?
That liberty and independence for thousands of enslaved men, women, and children meant siding with the British during the American Revolution?
The Igbo of eastern Nigeria have a saying: “Until lions have their own historians, tales of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” Historian Michael A. Lord, Site Manager at Historic Hudson Valley’s Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, examines the issues, events, and individual choices surrounding enslavement in the Hudson Valley from the perspective of the enslaved. Using a select group of individuals, Lord’s conversation traces the development of slavery in NY, everyday life for those enslaved in the Hudson River valley, resistance to the institution, emancipation, and why this most-American of stories continues to be relevant.
Michael Lord who came to Historic Hudson Valley in 1998 as the Associate Director for Reinterpretation, working to create and implement Philipsburg’s current interpretive plan. He supervises and trains interpreters to tell the story of the enslaved community who resided on this living history farm, gristmill, and manor house. Michael also writes, produces, and directs museum theatre presentations for Historic Hudson Valley and other institutions. He is a Magna cum laude graduate of Amherst College with degrees in History and Black Studies, Michael A. Lord was introduced to living history as a graduate student at the College of William and Mary.