The website Atlas Obscura includes images and information about sites around the world that are usually hidden and well off the beaten path of the world traveler. Photographer, Caitlin Galante-DeAngelis Hopkins, travelled to New England and discovered the colonial graves of slaves and free persons of color scattered across the countryside of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. The images she captured tell a visual story of the lives of slaves in 18th century New England.Not only are the gravestones a beautiful memorial to the memories of the long-dead, they also reveal and suggest genealogical ties not mentioned in documents. Wives, children and brothers are buried side by side in family plots. The words etched in stone by a enslaved stone carver reveal a paternal connection to a deceased brother. Other graves mention slaves and the names of their slaveholders which included families associated with the early days of Harvard and Yale university.
Gravestones from the past reveal unknown histories and connections. As genealogists, we have to remind ourselves that not every fact or kinship tie was preserved in a document. Material culture can reveal hints to the past if one understands what to look for. Always keep an open mind. The link to her photography project can be found at http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-beautiful-and-forgotten-gravesites-of-new-englands-slaves
RS
No comments:
Post a Comment