Teaching Slavery & Freedom Through Primary Sources

A 31-page teaching guide assembled to accompany the exhibit
Slavery & Freedom in Northampton, Massachusetts, 1654 to 1783 

Slavery in Northampton

For at least 129 years, slavery was part of the fabric of everyday life in Northampton. We know of 50 enslaved individuals who lived here from the town’s founding in 1654 to 1783, when slavery was abolished in Massachusetts. 

For more information, see the Slavery in Northampton Research Project.

Suggested Grade Levels

Middle school through high school

*Documents which mention extreme physical violence or sexual activity are denoted with an asterisk.

Brief Description

These six primary sources prompt learners to analyze the conditions of enslavement and freedom for Black individuals in Northampton, 1654-1783. Learners will explore the quality of life for enslaved people, their legal status, and their individual rights. Discussion questions prompt learners to think about how enslaved and free Black people in early Northampton expressed their agency as they were denied freedoms. This introduction also includes context about slavery in Massachusetts taken from Historic Northampton’s exhibit, “Slavery & Freedom in Northampton, 1654-1783”. Also included are an FAQ and key vocab list.

Each primary source is accompanied by: 

• Name of the archives that holds the document
• A brief description of context
• A photo scan of the document
• A transcription of the document with contextual information annotated in yellow arrows
• Suggested questions to practice evidence based learning and historical interpretation skills

Primary Sources:

• Bathsheba Hull Surety Bond, c.1748/9
• Boston’s Bill of Sale, c. 1715
• Hannah & Mingo in the Judd Manuscript*, c. 1692 
• Mercy Bartlett’s Will, c. 1756
• Samuel Parson’s Agreement With Sue & Mingo, c. 1698
• Venus’s Bill of Sale, c. 1731