PROVIDENCE WALKS PROVIDENCE WALKS: EARLY BLACK HISTORY Early Black History Self-Guided HISTORIC WALKING FROM THE BEGINNING: 16361865 PIECING TOGETHER HISTORY Providence history is Black history, from the early days of the colony to These artifacts are just a few of the many thousands of objects that were found at the North Shore archaeological site; the location of today. Roger Williams founded Providence in 1636 on land inhabited by Providence’s Snowtown neighborhood of the 1820s to 1840s. Although the residents would have been very poor, they lived and worked the Narragansett, Wampanoag and other tribes. In 1737, British colonizers using things that are mostly familiar to us today. Long-hidden objects, such as ceramic tablewares, glass bottles, toys, coins and a multitude turned to the business of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and slavery to of tools — needleworking tools, painter’s tools, metalworking tools — all offer us a glimpse into the past of those whose lives were rarely, or support themselves. They imported captive Africans who helped to build incompletely, documented. this colony and others throughout the Western Hemisphere. Providence elites developed a system of laws and codes to uphold the Tile (1600–1800) Padlock (1840s–1890s) business and the structure, and to ensure profi t for the owning class. By the English tin-enameled fi replace Heart-shaped iron padlock with mid-1700s, Rhode Island slave traders were a dominant force in the trans- swinging brass key cover Atlantic slave trade, and the majority of the town’s and colony’s economy tile with fi shing scene was connected in some way to the trade, including the production of goods such as rum, candles and iron. There was a clear economic Thimbles (1840s–1880s) TOUR interdependence with plantations in the Caribbean, Southern colonies Crucible and Stand and even Suriname, where ships docked to trade captives for goods like Brass sewing “motto thimble” — common in the (1840s–1880s) sugar and cotton. In 1764, Governor Stephen Hopkins wrote, “Without 19th century and often given as gifts to young girls Small fi re clay Hessian-type this [slave] trade, it would have been and will always be utterly impossible — marked Token of Friendship metalworking crucible and for the inhabitants of this colony to subsist themselves, or to pay for any rack or stand considerable quantity of British goods.” The upper-class colonists would also have had to cook and clean for themselves. The majority of the early Providence population participated in and/ “In the north part of the city was a place called Addison Hollow, but was nicknamed Hardscrabble. A great or benefi ted from the slave trade. But over time, questions were raised. Enslaved people resisted in many ways, and began to speak out publicly. many coloured people purchased land there, because it was some distance from town, and hence quite Some were manumitted (released from slavery) by their owner, others by cheap. They put up small houses for themselves, and earned their living in various ways.” — William J. Brown circumstance. Free Black people and abolitionists called for change. The Revolutionary War prompted a wave of Black freedom, followed by the Gradual Emancipation Act in 1784, and freed people started to build free communities, advocating for, and even purchasing, the freedom of Painter’s Pot (1820s–1840s) beloved family and friends. Redware, lead-glazed painter’s pot with Ruler (1820s–1840s) Bodkin (1820s–1840s) As this was unfolding, many white people still clung to the system that paint layers in black, green, blue, red Bone folding ruler Iron bodkin, a needlework tool typically built this wealth and created a powerful ruling class. Abolition was not and yellow with brass hinge larger than a needle that was used for an event; it was a process. Slowly, the role of slavery within the state’s threading ribbons, laces and cords borders decreased, but this did not end Rhode Island’s economic and Medicine Bottle social entanglement with the system. For example, Rhode Island was one (1852–1867) of the largest producers of “Negro cloth” from cotton imported from the South, supplying the plantation market with cheap, low-quality fabric worn Dr. Langley’s Root & Herb Bitters Horseshoe (1820s–1840s) by enslaved people. medicine bottle, marketed to cure liver Wrought iron horseshoe and sour stomach complaints with the The legacy of slavery and its aftermath is deep, uncomfortable, and, in motto “Buy me and I’ll do you good” many ways, has been hidden and silenced. Despite this, generations of Black Rhode Islanders lived and thrived. Taking this tour is an act of remembrance, which honors the lives of those whose stories are only Plate (1795–1830) Coin (1822) (1820s–1840s) partially known, but who contributed signifi cantly to the city you see today. Dominos Pearlware dinner plate with American 1-cent coin, Liberty Bone and ebony domino printed “Blue Willow” pattern Head “Coronet Matron” type

Objects are housed at The Public Archaeology Laboratory, Inc. in Rhode Island. PROVIDENCE PERSONALITIES

“Passports are not issued to persons of African extraction. Such Cudge Brown William J. Brown St. Jago Hopkins persons are not deemed citizens of Cudge Brown was enslaved by the United States.”  Providence William J. Brown was born free in 1814, St. Jago Hopkins grew up enslaved in Customs Offi cial Moses Brown and then manumitted grandson of Cudge and part of the the Stephen Hopkins household. He by Brown in 1768. He married extended Brown family of enslaved and was manumitted in 1772 and worked freedwoman Phillis, and they later freed people. He was a keen observer as a rigger. He married Rose King raised a family on Olney Street. who knew the Black community well. He in 1778 and later a woman named He grew a garden that was passed worked as a shoemaker and minister, Abigail, with whom he bought a house down for generations and worked and in 1883 wrote a book, “The Life of in 1789. He had fi ve surviving children: as a teamster, carting materials all William J. Brown,” about his experiences. Samuel, Amos, Rosannah, Elizabeth PROVIDENCE WALKS over Providence and beyond. and Sally. Early Black History Self-Guided HISTORIC WALKING TOUR Elleanor Eldridge Emmanuel “Manna” Bernoon George Henry

Elleanor Eldridge was a free Black Emmanuel “Manna” Bernoon and his mother, George Henry was born Thomas Howland and Narragansett woman born in Amey, were enslaved by the Gabriel Bernon into slavery in 1819 in 1794 with an entrepreneurial spirit. family. After manumission in 1736, Manna Virginia but escaped to Thomas Howland was the fi rst She owned a home on Spring founded and ran the fi rst Oyster and Ale House Providence. A strategic Black man elected to public offi ce Street, which was taken from her, in Providence on Towne Street (now South Main thinker and skilled mariner, in Providence in 1857. He worked but she sued to get it back. To help Street) near the working waterfront. He lived he was an entrepreneur, as a grocer and stevedore but fund her legal fi ght to regain the with his wife Mary, a washerwoman, in their a community leader and was denied a United States lost property, she worked with own home on Stampers Street. At the time of his sexton at St. Stephen’s passport immediately after the author Frances McDougall in death, he had an eclectic inventory of clothing Church; worked for school Dred Scott decision. He left 1843 to pen “Memoirs of Elleanor and objects. He died in 1769 and was buried in integration; and wrote a Providence for Liberia due to this Eldridge,” recounting her life. She North Burial Ground. memoir, “Life of George discrimination. died in 1862. Henry.”

Shoemaker Family Fibba Brown Pero Paget

When Jacob Shoemaker died without a will and no heirs in 1774, Fibba Brown was an enslaved servant of Stephen Hopkins. Pero Paget was a laborer and stonemason the six people he had enslaved became the property of Providence. She lived and worked in his house for many years. Waking enslaved by Henry Paget. He contributed Listed as “Shoemaker’s Negroes” in the census, the reality is that early, she prepared meals, kept the fi res burning, cleaned skilled labor to buildings throughout despite the law, Thomas, Phebe and their four children were not the house and cared for the Hopkins family, as well as her Providence, including Market House and property but people. They were freed by Providence on the condition own children. She was fi nally freed and joined the Olney Brown’s University Hall, as well as bridges that their labor was not needed to pay their enslaver’s debts. (It Street household of her husband Bonner Brown. She died and roads. He died in 1780 at age 72 and wasn’t.) Thomas helped to build Market House. in her 90s in 1820. was buried in North Burial Ground. “American history is longer, larger, more various, various, more larger, is longer, history “American than anything terrible beautiful and more more said about it.” has ever anyone (1924–1987) & Activist Novelist American Baldwin, — James

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T Main Visitor Information Center Satellite Visitor Information Center JENCKES ST. . B A Rhode Island Convention Center IGT Center T H T. PARK S (street level) S EST (street level) T W KEENE ST. . One Sabin St., Providence, RI 10 Memorial Blvd., Providence, RI SMITH ST. 401-751-1177 | 1-800-233-1636 401-456-0200 T. E. OKLE S Mon. - Sat.: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.LLOYD AV Mon. - Fri.: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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G B R D 4 L ST. D R . N S E O E O D O T W North Burial Ground, built in 1700, is one of the oldest cemeteries in BO T I N W TH H S . ST E S N C T Providence. A Black Heritage Tour Map is available for free in the offi ce, and . E

S . P ST. . . T E T S ADY AV A C . ON you can take a walk through the city of the dead and pay your respects. Be S G IMS Dr. Jabez Bowen House D CUSHING ST. T PROMENADE S sure to visit Patience Borden, who in 1811 donated all of her money “to the relief ST. N 39 Bowen Street A L HAYES ST. of poor people of color.” E URT ST. L H CO AMTRAK SOUT Dr. Bowen provided medicines and care to the people of Providence. He also provisioned MEETING ST.

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S Cathedral of St. John & G O substances. At least three enslaved people lived in this house — Jenny, her daughter Dinah, C 1 S P C R O T O A E . PROVIDENCE T ST . V Burial Ground and Fortune. VE O N H C LI O E 7 . K T

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F in part by the Triangle Trade. AVE. R Providence Gazette ARRIS S H . T ST . Enslavers and enslaved people 21 Meeting Street B RMAN RHODE ISLANDE WATE MANNING ST. both worshipped here. It is now the SCHOOL OF DESIGNN i . E This house, also called “Shakespeare’s VD F L I AN S T site of The Center for Reconciliation, B T ITM AL M P Head,” housed John Carter and his RI E S an organization dedicated to MO M T BROWN UNIVERSITY E O . COLLEGE ST. newspaper business, The Providence M R educating the public about slavery I CE A Gazette. It’s a place to consider the RA L and its aftermath. You can visit the ER B T L 8 role of media in upholding slavery. GE V grave of an enslaved family in HAN D E ST. WEST EXC . . GEORG We can look at ads from Rhode Island . EXCHANGE ST ST the adjacent burial ground; Phillis E . MEMORIAL S V KIN A P D OLENT ST. newspapers selling enslaved people and A PARK HO BENEV N Z Chace, her daughter Rose, and A O D 9 O L . R H T seeking help capturing “runaways,” as CE R P T DA A O Rose’s daughter Fanny are all Y R N B ST. RHODE ISLAND CE Y S OLENT ST. B A EV D BEN P R S R E T well as articles and images. At least two R T E . N O O E

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by this garden to honor the contributions and knowledgeAY of Rhode Island T S EST F T S T W

DW S E T . R BROA 24 Meeting Street T S . Black farmers, free and enslaved, as well as the importance of plants, food . . W T MA T ST . CH T. RAN H ES I 13 . T B T R S C G and medicine to their survival. ER T N SPENC UT R S O Unequal access to education has been an ongoingT issue since the founding of America. HA S A N ST. S I HAL INGTO D O U WASH T. K U R G R T Although the struggle crosses racial and ethnic E lines, enslaved and free Black people faced C T KNESS ST. A E T H O IR H L R S . L T S BAI BE . T W T. S A additional racist legal and systemic challenges that created terrible inequity. Thanks to years S T T. R . A MEADER S N T Roger Williams National MemorialY T N I 2 D T C E B B S E ELM ST. H R B of advocacy, Providence began to build schools for all students, and eventually outlawed R S R S T M 282 North Main Street A S . T T. S I I ER S O DGE AVE . D ST T. POINT ST. T RTO ESTMIN A S . G W D. POINT OF INTERESTB N segregation in 1865. This circa 1769 building housed a piece of that story. The “Colored” H I PARSONAGE ST. D ST. H M LOCUM O S A P SOUTH S This site helps us to rememberN the role of Indigenous people in our story. P School was a separateM school for students of color beginning in 1828. Eventually,FR attendance E T P . . ST. I R T S ICK N HOSPITAL ST. S 14 1st RhodeE Island Regiment I Providence’s original inhabitants experienced. slavery and oppression during A A IA declined and ProvidenceT schools were integrated. S S L D . E T T P IN R 57 BenevolentFR Street . L colonization. Black and Indigenous people also formed alliances and families A A ST. NK C LIN E despite the legal and social barriers of a challenging Colonial system. Visit the P S TMINSTER ST. O This address marksT .the home of Black Veteran Richard Cozzens WES 7 W H interpretive center to learn more about this story. D. H . ODR ARRISON ST. T and his wife Hannah Robinson. During the American Revolution,

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S S O ST. TON E ST. TON support the cause of freedom or for the promise of personal E. POINT OF INTEREST T INS S S . K T. T T. R AK S . Originally foundedN S in the First Baptist Meeting emancipation. These men formed the 1st Rhode Island Regiment O SIO A PE ST. MESSER ST. VI OAK DI S Christ Church/St. Stephen’s House in 1819, this is the oldest continually T. T S . and fought bravely alongside a racially mixed group of soldiers. R 400 Benefi t Street operating Black church in Providence. The E T T. Many enslaved survivors were granted freedom after the war, S S church, which was rebuilt in 1869, provided LE although some had to push to get it. ST. ICE There is a strong lineage of Black churches in Providence.

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MARVIN ST. WILL a space for the growing Providence Black T. P ST DODGE ST. S E Churches provide space for community building, mutual

H AR R T L community to meet their spiritual needs and O S WILLOW ST. T. O T. aid and ritual. Christ Church was an early Black Episcopal S S B YCA N

work together to access education,O meeting church organized by a group of free Black men. They fi rst

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MORE S N HUDSON ST. space, and the agency Aand social capitalR that 10 Joseph Brown House HUD R I hired pastor Alexander Crummell, who faced opposition SON ST. C D comes from institutions. G 50 South Main Street . GI H from state church leaders and went on to a long career PARADE ST. ST A ER LMOR M T. ST ST. outside Rhode Island. The church’s Pond Street building LE Joseph Brown both participated in the slave trade and W E burned, so the congregation joined St. Stephen’s in the OOD ST. S enslaved people via his family businesses. Some of T. 1850s. This is currently the site of the Barker Playhouse. HARRI those enslaved persons lived and worked in this house. ARCH ST. At the time of his death there were four enslaved people CHAPIN AVE. T. S S ON ST. M in the household, including Phillis, Jenny and Fortune, N YR DIAMOND ST. TO WIL T who lived in the attic. This house was later used as a 13

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ETRS DEXTER ETRS DEXTER N ST. 82 Smith Street HOLLIS ST. 11 Welcome Arnold House SU 21 Planet Street The current Rhode Island State House was built on the site of Snowtown.PERIOR ST WESTFIEL Following the Gradual Emancipation Act of 1784, newly emancipated,. D S T. This house was the site of an ongoing legal situation. Amyntus indentured and freeborn Black Rhode Islanders needed places to live, work, “Mint” Martin was enslaved to a woman named Rebecca S play and build community. In a pattern typical to the U.S., a statewide social, PRAGUE ST. Martin. He fl ed her Newport home to Providence and found legal and economic system of white supremacy replaced the social, legal and work as a seaman on Arnold’s vessels. The enslaver tried to economic system of slavery. Alongside white and Indigenous poor and working- force his return to Newport, but eventually settled for taking class people, Black residents settled in marginalized Providence neighborhoods Martin’s hard-earned wages. such as Hardscrabble, Snowtown, Olney Street and Stamper’s. Archival and 8 archeological records present examples of persistence, entrepreneurship and care work in these majority Black communities, which were also targets of racially Market Square & Market House 12 motivated oppression and violence. 4 Market Square Providence Shelter for Colored Children 11 Wickenden Street Market House was built by many hands beginning in 1775. Black laborers were essential in Originally located at this spot on Wickenden Street, the shelter was founded by white Quaker C. POINT OF INTEREST this work, beginning with site preparation, masonry, material-gathering and more throughout the whole process. Pero Paget, Thomas Shoemaker and Pomp Smith all made signifi cant women in 1838 as a house set up to care for and assimilate children of color who were orphaned contributions of labor. Once it opened, Black entrepreneurs worked the market stalls inside and/or in need. After a fi re in 1847, the shelter was moved to 20 Olive Street. The shelter has and out, including free Black butcher George Thomas and George McCarty, a native of transformed into a foundation that supports organizations serving Black children to this day. Montserrat who ran a refreshment stand. “The parents were looking for adequate child care, while the founders had different ideas: they shared many of the period’s views about the children of the poor, who, they believed, needed to 9 be taught how to work and how to behave.” — ProvidenceShelter.org

Sally Gallery at John Brown House 14 India Point Park 52 Power Street 201 India Street This educational space tells the story of the slave ship Sally and its voyage from Providence to West Africa You are standing on the former working port of Providence. This area, India Point and the larger to Antigua and back in 1764–1765. While all slave voyages were inherently violent, this one suffered Fox Point neighborhood, has been a major point of entry and exit for people and goods since a particularly high loss of life. There was an insurrection, grave illness and even suicide. Visit the Sally the Colonial period. There were wharfs, distilleries, ropewalks, warehouses, snack bars, candle gallery for free to see how this illness and death was tracked via double-entry bookkeeping — within the factories and a hospital. Ships were built, repaired, loaded and unloaded right here. This was a Snowtown “Riot” Plaque framework of slavery, these human tragedies were just a “business expense.” major location for labor in Providence, including that of enslaved and free Black people. Take a North End of Roger Williams National Memorial moment to refl ect on the journey. During the 1824 Hardscrabble Riot, a white mob destroyed 20 Black-owned Stephen Hopkins House ESEK HOPKINS HOUSE* homes and businesses. Seven years later, during the 1831 Snowtown Riot, 15 Hopkins Street Esek Hopkins was captain of the Sally, leading the terrible slave voyage of 1764–1765. He also enslaved another white mob terrorized Black neighborhoods for four days, resulting in several people at his home in North Providence, and brought his young Black indentured servant the death of fi ve people, the damage and destruction of 18 buildings, and the Ten-time Governor of Rhode Island Stephen Hopkins enslaved at least six people in this house: Edward Abbey aboard the Sally to “teach” him. Hopkins went on to command the U.S. Navy during the Tour was written and researched by Elon Cook Lee and Traci Picard, with ultimate intervention of the Rhode Island state militia. Fibba Brown, St. Jago Hopkins, Adam, Prince, Bonner Jr. and Prime. The house is one of the few places in Rhode Island where we can view both the workspace of enslaved servants and Revolutionary War for a time. His home is at 97 Admiral Street in Providence. Julia Renaud, all from The Center for Reconciliation. their sleeping quarters. Go upstairs and contrast the bedrooms of the enslaver Hopkins and his *Not depicted on map family with those of the enslaved right next door.