Complicated Colonial Narratives: Local Evidence of Slavery

In 2023-2024 our organization embarked on its largest research project to date, culminating in an extensive exhibit on local evidence of slavery.  A portion of the exhibit is now on display at the South Windsor Public Library through February.

Recognizing our research, exhibit, related programming and curriculum development on this project, in 2025, we received an Award of Merit from the Connecticut League of Museums.

We welcome you to a fascinating presentation that explores the context of slavery in Connecticut and specific local evidence in South Windsor. Learn about the arduous research process and the many named and unnamed enslaved people that we uncovered.  ​Thanks to advancements in digitization and public access of archival materials, information about this portion of history is more readily available than ever before, and as such this is primarily a visual presentation.

Examining slavery from a modern perspective is complicated, and our role as a history organization is not to pass judgement on the past in hindsight, nor is it our responsibility to ask you to.  However, understanding history is important to interpreting the world around us today.  We’ve come to know a little about a group of men and women in our town that we are excited to remember and introduce you to:  Tom, Ansars, Dr. Primus Manumit, Prince, Flora, Sylvia, Hector, London, Peter, Prince and several others.

This program is made possible with support from an Access Grant through the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation.