Recovering Black History in the Monadnock Region

An inventor, a healer, and a fiddler are among the people you will ‘meet’ in this program about the Recovering Black History in the Monadnock Region project. A collaboration between the Historical Society of Cheshire County and the Monadnock Center, the Recovering Black History project seeks to uncover the histories of African-Americans who lived in the region from the 18^th century to 1930.

Michelle Stahl, Executive Director of the Monadnock Center, will share an update on the research project and the findings of the ‘citizen archivist’ volunteers that are piecing together the stories of dozens of people of color who have called the Monadnock Region home. Then she will share the life stories of several individuals including two formerly enslaved people who gained their freedom and spent the rest of their lives in the region.

The Recovering Black History project seeks to fill the gaps in our knowledge of the African-American people and communities in the Monadnock Region from the 18th through the early 20th century. A group of volunteers, the citizen-archivists, are conducting research using census records, town histories, vital records, and other sources like land, church, and court records. The information will be used to tell a more complete history of the region through public programs, exhibits, and a website.

This free program is presented in partnership with the Peterborough Town Library.

Recovering Black History in the Monadnock Region will be held online via Zoom and registration is required. Click HERE to register.