Slavery Museum Tour Review:

Slavery in New York City

I visited the Slavery in New York exhibit. Theres a lot of text on the screen (shown
throughout the gallery descriptions below, which include a lot of detail about each
gallery I saw). There are also a lot of images shown throughout the galleries
(described below). There arent any 3-D models, however. The exhibit can appeal to
different types of people depending on their interests, but I think that teachers and
parents would be more interested because of the type of vocabulary used, which a
kid or child would likely find difficulty understanding, but the exhibit itself is pretty
interesting. There are things to interact with like the arrows in gallery 1 that move
you to the next or previous slide and the map in gallery 2, which allows you to pick
your destinations. Another thing I liked was the ads in gallery 3 because I thought
hovering over the words was fun. I think the main idea the designers of this exhibit
wants to get across to the audience is about slavery in New York and to show the
audience how complicated slavery in New York is. I think this because the galleries
walk through slavery in the Revolutionary War and slavery after the Revolutionary
War, as well as celebrations after slavery was over and a walkthrough of the
struggles those influenced by slavery suffered. My favorite part of the exhibits
would be the parts where you got to interact with the objects on the screen
because then you could experiment and figure things out. I dont know whats my
least favorite part of the exhibits since each exhibit had its own unique way of
proving its point, which kept me interested. Overall this exhibit wasnt that bad. I
actually learned a lot from clicking through the pages and browsing the web site,
which made me think about how long and tiring the road slaves took mustve been
and how much courage it probably mustve taken for the slaves and abolitionists to
stand up for themselves or their beliefs and to fight back.
Gallery 1
The largest forced migration in world history was the Atlantic Slave Trade. A map is
shown on the screen, but I cant see much detail. In the Americas, over twelve
million slaves (Africans) were captured. There is some kind of house on the screen,
with what seems like a lot of Africans inside. Some people are leaving the house
and I see two (or more) people kneeling on the ground. Over 80 slaves came to
America each day for 400 years. There is a ship full of what looks like Africans, likely
being transported to America. More than 40,000 ships carried slaves across the
ocean. There is a picture of a bunch of ships, which are likely carrying slaves over to
America. The slave trade, however, also tied the world together. There is a picture
of some slaves working the fields. By 1800, people began getting outraged at slave

trading, which led to the first international human rights movement. There is a
picture of someone giving a speech, perhaps about the wrongs of slavery. In 1888,
slavery was abolished. There is a picture of a man (who I think I should know the
name of but dont). I also learned about the Triangle Slave Trade and saw a map
showing me which countries were involved in the trade (Africa, Europe, and
America).
Gallery 2
The Africans are able to get a little bit of freedom, enough to be able to form small
communities within their race. Then I get to do a bit of exploring around a map.
First I look at Landscape of Conspiracy: Two New Yorks, 1741 and I learn that
blacks had secretly mapped out New York so they could avoid being on surveillance
cameras and so that they can find places where they can meet others of their race
so they can interact with one another without the whites paying attention to or
hearing/seeing what they were doing. I then look at Hughsons Tavern: Hotbed of
Insurrection in 1741? and I learn that an indentured servant caused a man named
John Hughson to be hanged by telling investigators a story about a plan to burn the
city and hand it over to some Spanish invaders. I also learn that a slave named
Quack was killed for being accused of burning down the headquarters of the British
rule. Next, I look at Wells and Pumps and I learn that slaves would gather while
fetching water for tea so they can exchange information and communicate with
one another. I learn that slaves were being sold at the Meal Market due to the
uncertain circumstances of rebellion and also that in 1712 slaves revolted, killing
whites and setting fire to a bakers shed, and were stopped by the militiamen. I also
learn that Africans made their own burial grounds and prepared their own funerals,
which would probably make it easier for Africans to communicate with each other.
Finally, theres a timeline on the bottom of the map that explains some important
things going on in New York as well as in the case of slavery.
I also learned about how blacks were granted half-freedoms, meaning that they
had to pay taxes but they were able to own their own land. However, their children
remained slaves. I learned about the kidnapping of a ships crew, but they were
brought to the New World as slaves instead of suffering the usual fate. Finally, I
learned about a former slave named Dorothy Creole, who showed that blacks cared
for one another by taking in an orphaned child.
Gallery 3
I learned about the ads featuring runaway slaves, which tells people about the
backgrounds of the runaway slaves and tells the runaways story. I learned that

runaway ads describing disfigurements were often signs of abuse, that they often
included the slaves name, and that the slaves skills and clothing are described. I
learned that slaves might try to get work as a free person using the skills they know
and that slaves might steal to protect themselves. I also learned that ads often have
a reward for bringing back slaves and that slaves being brought back from a longer
distance often gives the person who brings them back a higher reward. Finally, I
learned that a slave might try to smuggle themselves out of where they live so they
can temporarily (or permanently) escape their masters.
I learned about how most everything was touched by slavery, including coffee
pots and teaspoons. I learned about the laws of slavery in New York, including how
slaves were unable to own weapons. Finally, I learned about a slave named London
who, according to other slaves, planned a revolt against his master and mistress
and planned to burn down the town with other blacks and whites.
Gallery 4
I learned that slaves escaped to New York so they can become as close to being a
free person as they can. I explored a map of the city of New York. I learned that by
signing contacts with the British, slaves get paid for work and were able to get
freedoms they were originally restricted of. I also learned that a former runaway
named Titus led a group of blacks to attack the opposing sides food supplies and
kill the enemy in the year 1779, but died the following year trying to kidnap a man
from the opposing side. There was also a battle in New York where the British
drove an army out of Brooklyn and into Manhattan, and here some slaves chose to
join the British so they could fight as free people. I learned that some blacks chose
to fight at sea and some were captured by the British and put on prison ships.
Many people died on those ships. In 1783, I learned some black slaves were sent
out of the United States so they can continue to live a free life because the British
were defeated. Finally, I learned about blacks joining the Patriots in war because
the Patriots needed soldiers to fight for them, and they were promised freedom
after the war. I also found that during the war, many of New Yorks African people
were free and not slaves. There is also a timeline at the bottom of the map showing
important events during the Revolutionary War period and showing important
events in the case of slavery.
I learned about Deborah Squash, who escaped slavery with the help of the British. I
learned about Boston King, who fought for the British and was part of the many
slaves who wanted freedom and didnt want to be returned to slavery. However,
after the British loss he saw former slaves being returned to slavery and wrote

about it in his memoirs. Finally, I found that Patriots recruited blacks to fight for
them and promised them freedom at wars end.
Gallery 5
I learned that after the Revolutionary War, slaves wondered if all men are created
equal applied to them as well, but they learned that they still had to struggle in
order to become completely free. I learned about John Jay, who worked to achieve
freedom for slaves, and about his son, who also worked for this cause. Finally, I
learned about the New York Manumission Society, who also worked to help free
slaves and who established a school for blacks.
Gallery 6
I looked at a timeline of slavery. I learned that early on in New Yorks history, nearly
every black was enslaved, but later on the laws began to change and New Yorks
blacks began becoming free people whose votes began to count. I learned and saw
throughout the timeline of the earliest paintings of black New Yorkers and I read
about a former slave who was able to purchase his wifes freedom as well as his
adopted daughters.
I learned about a man named Peter Williams Jr., who gave a speech about how all
men were created equal. I also learned about Jupiter Hammon, who believed he
was too old to escape the clutches of slavery but wished for those younger slaves to
try to gain their own freedom. Finally, I learned about the black population of New
York during the years 1790, 1800, and 1810. I learned about how the free black
population began to rise, and although the slave population and white population
also rose with it, the slave population began to fall after 1800.
Gallery 7
I learned about how New York was open for business again after seven years of
embargo, war, and threatened invasion, and I saw two paintings with contrasting
views. One shows everything in order while the other presents a problem for
blacks. I also learned about how even though blacks gained freedom, they lost their
ability to vote. There is a picture of the document with that law on it. I learned
about Africans losing their jobs, as shown in a painting where no blacks are seen at
all. Finally, I learned about a group in America called the American Colonization
Society, who sent free blacks to Liberia so they can live their life in freedom.
However, I learned that some black New Yorkers knew their home was not Liberia,

but here in America, and they believed they were more American than those other
immigrants coming from Ireland and Germany (I assume) that were so quickly
accepted.
Gallery 8
I explored a book called Portraits of Freedoms People and learned about a few
people. For example, I learned of a man called James Miller, who would take walks
(or strolls) in public with his wife during summer evenings and on Sundays, and of
men and women like Catherine Ferguson and Jack Devoo, who made a living by
doing what they did best and/or what they liked to do. I also learned of a slave
named Caesar who lived longer than three of his masters and died at age 115. I
learned that more black men were able to find employment at sea than anywhere
else (besides day labor), making me think that maybe its because of the blooming
amount of business at the port, which would lead to an insufficient amount of
employees, therefore leading to the whites resorting to hiring black men so they
could run their business. Finally, I learned that people who were sweep masters
often hired young boys to sweep chimneys of the roofs of New York, so I can
assume that child labor wasnt uncommon back then.
I learned about a man named Reverend William Hamilton, who wanted the blacks
to celebrate their freedom in churches. However, some wanted a parade, so two
celebrations occurred. One was held in a church, and he was one of the speakers. I
also learned of the route the blacks took during the parade of their freedom, going
from City Hall to the Battery.
Gallery 9
I learned that after years of struggle, America resulted in having its North free of
slavery and its South still using slavery. This caused the South to become known to
the public for its slavery, making historians, novelists, and filmmakers feel
sympathy for the South, therefore causing them to bring back the idea of nice
masters and happy slaves. I learned that the history of slavery still lives on today
and black scholars were able to start educating people about the history of slavery.
I also learned that African American History Month, originally Negro History Week,
began in 1926. I found out that slavery began reflecting on the meaning and heart
of America after people began looking more deeply into it, and that in 1993 the
African Burial Ground was uncovered and became a memorial site.