Lecture: “Doing the Work: How Including the Enslaved Expands our Understanding of Colonial New York”

Historians have identified at least 115 named individuals enslaved by the Philipse family at their properties in Manhattan and Westchester. With residences in Manhattan, Yonkers & Sleepy Hollow, warehouses in all three locations, gristmills, sawmills, farmland, livestock, and sailing vessels, a large and skilled enslaved workforce was essential. In this special program, historian Lavada Nahon reveals how historians and researchers across the state are identifying artifacts, religious practices, burial grounds, and the names, numbers, and lives of enslaved people across New York State to enrich and expand the historical narrative of New York. Lavada Nahon is the lead Interpreter of African American History for the Bureau of Historic Sites. She served as project lead for the new “Our Whole History” exhibit at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. Register here.