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Student Work

Remembering Flora

WSP · Jun 3, 2022 ·

By Ella Montalvo, Class of 2022, Elisabeth C. Adams Middle School

It is scary to imagine that these people suffered on the very grass we walk on in our town but it isn’t any better for it to be the grass that others in the South walk on. Flora was an enslaved person in Guilford, Connecticut from 1739 to 1771. She was the daughter of two slaves, Montros and Philis, who were enslaved to Ruth and David Naughty. Flora had a child named Cesar who later died in 1817. Throughout her life, she never experienced freedom but sought for her son to experience his freedom. Something difficult for people in New England states to understand is that slavery was everywhere in the United States not just on plantations in the South. Flora and her family are a representation of this. She experienced the same pain, dehumanization, and unethical treatment as others did. If we can’t recognize that slavery shaped our towns then we will never truly understand the legacy of slavery across the United States. 

Whether of the lack of documents or because of the denial of slavery in New England, we don’t hear much about the enslaved people in Guilford. However, we know that because Guilford is and was an agricultural town, you would commonly find people enslaved to do farm/labor work. Flora’s son, Cesar, was born at a neighbor of the Naughtys’ where Flora as rented out or indentured to.. He was seen as an animal just like the horses. He was listed on the probate inventory of Nathanial Hill for 35 pounds while the horses and oxen were being sold collectively for 30 pounds. A human was only worth 5 pounds more than an animal. Cesar nor other enslaved people were seen as human for their main purpose in life was to “work for the white man.” Cesar was not alone in his struggle as his mother, Flora, his grandparents, and aunts/uncles all suffered in the same way. At the time, there were 75 documented enslaved people being sold to white men in Guilford. There were most likely more than 75 enslaved people however, only now are some being documented in history. This is because most were likely indentured servants that worked in the houses and weren’t tossed around as frequently as the “farm animals.” Slavery happened everywhere in the United States and although it is difficult to imagine that something as horrible as slavery happened in our small town remember that the North was only so much better than the South in their racist ideas. 

Flora experienced severe unethical acts against her throughout her life and would never get rid of these scars until she died. She was dehumanized, treated unfairly, had her rights stripped from her in order to “help” her, and was indentured to people in order for her owners to get money. However, throughout all of this, she resisted these acts by setting up her child to live past her and one day be freed. Dehumanization, not being seen as human, was what all enslaved people experienced. Flora experienced this when she was listed in David Naughty’s probate inventory for Naughty’s for 5 pounds classified as a “Negro girl.” She was listed  as if she was part of a house, as if she was only a tool and not a human who can never have a price put on. From there she was only treated unethically and unfairly. David Naughty wrote a will specifying that when he died that Montros, Philis, along with their children were to be set free and given a house and supplies. However, once David died Ruth Naughty didn’t do this and instead of setting Flora’s siblings free, she kept them enslaved for their lives. Ruth Naughty’s paternalistic perspective showed that her ideas were the correct ones for Flora. She believed that it would be best for Flora’s siblings to “Live in some good Regular & Religious families as servants rather than to enjoy Freedom.” This showed that she believed that her actions were only helping them live a better life.  

Not only did Ruth Naughty believe that she was helping, she had previously indentured Flora and her siblings to her neighbors. By doing this Ruth benefited financially from this arrangement. Flora got pregnant and had a child who we can understand was taught the ways to behave and act as an enslaved person. But Flora also taught him how to survive if he ever were to be free. She had a plan that Cesar would live past her age and one day be set free. A better life than she could ever imagine for herself. Flora was not alone in the struggles of surviving enslavement, in the United States, millions of people were enslaved and treated like they weren’t human. It is not right for people to plan for their death in the case that maybe, just maybe, their child can live free from the pain they experienced. However, this was the life of many during this time and Flora was no exception.

In conclusion, slavery was everywhere and it is part of everyone’s history. Flora was an enslaved person for her entire life. She did not start an uprising, speak out against slavery or run away. But we must recognize every single enslaved person’s sacrifice. By learning and saying Flora’s name she becomes real. She walked down the same streets you and I have walked. By telling her story we are acknowledging her sacrifice, her soul, and her life as meaningful. She is impactful to the point where we can understand and value the lives of people who built our towns, our cities, our states, and our country. 

 

Remembering Cuff

WSP · Jun 3, 2022 ·

By Teagan Connellan, Class of 2022, Elisabeth C. Adams Middle School

No birth records. No death records. No marriage records. No working records. Someone who wasn’t even seen as a person. Someone who would be traded or worth a unit of dollars. Someone who was with five different people in his lifetime. Not as family. Not as a friend. Not as an employee. But as property. This is the story of Cuff. 

Thomas Ruggles Jr, a pastor of the First Congregational Church in Guilford. He was the first known owner of Cuff, that the sources tell. Thomas Ruggles Jr. had no sons and only one daughter, Sarah Ruggles, who married Joseph Pynchon. In 1760, their first son, Doc. Thomas Ruggles Pynchon was born. When Thomas Ruggles Jr. died in the 1770s, he left Cuff in his will. Along with his other property and “moveables”. This alone is a big problem that demonstrates dehumanization, the process of depriving people of positive human qualities, like freedom, the right to be independent, and even being considered a human. Cuff was put in a will. Just like a family heirloom or money or a house or a piece of property. This is depriving Cuff of independence, and freedom for his life choices, and it is taking away the fact that he is not property, that he is human. For example, as stated in Thomas Ruggles Jr.’s will, “All the Remainder of my moveables (Except my Silver Tankard Silver Teapot Gold Seal Ring Library & wearing apparel Husbandry Tools and Negro Servant Cuff)”. Here, Cuff is listed as a moveable and listed with tools, teapots, and a library. Here, Cuff is not even considered or thought of as a person. He was passed down to his Ruggles Jr.’s heirs, as a gift.

However, not only was Cuff going to be owned by one of Ruggles’ heirs, but the person inheriting Cuff needed to make sure that “he be Comfortably Taken care of & Provided For During Life by my Heir”. This means that whoever owned Cuff needed to care for all of his necessary things to live, like a place to stay, food, water, and clothes. Cuff’s story shows paternalism by being passed down in a will but still being sure that he will be taken care of. Although this can also show dehumanization, it majorly shows paternalism because it states that the person who inherits Cuff needs to take care of him for the rest of his life. This is an example of paternalism because Cuff was never actually given the choice to be taken care of but since he had been enslaved his whole life, others believed that he was not capable of taking care of himself. They expected him to believe that this was for his own good, that they were looking out for him, that he couldn’t survive without them. Maybe he couldn’t, but that was not his fault. He was the victim of being deprived of his freedom. And he didn’t even get the choice to try and survive. This is paternalism. 

Later on, in Ruggles Jr.’s will, he explains to whom he would leave the excluded items and Cuff to. He says that “So they go to my Grandson… And as to my Servant Cuff, my will & desire is he be Comfortably Taken care of” this explains how Ruggles Jr. would leave Cuff to his grandson, only when Thomas Ruggles Pynchon became of age, of course. Until he was old enough to inherit things from a will, his parents would get Cuff. This is where the economics of slavery were put into play. Joseph Pynchon, the father of Ruggles Pynchon, was now one of the owners of Cuff and evidently did not need his work that frequently and so was able to “rent him out” to Eli Foote. He happened to be the grandfather of Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote a book that informed people about the horrors of slavery, (Article in NCPedia about Eli Foot). Foote used Cuff for multiple labor activities such as maintaining the grass and joining a work team, as shown in the account book of Eli Foote and Pynchon. When Pynchon rented Cuff out to Foote, he made 20 pounds for two years, meaning that he was economically benefiting from the labor of Cuff.

Eventually, Dr. Thomas Ruggles Pynchon turned eighteen years old and inherited Cuff, shown in the census of Guilford in 1790. However, in the Alderbrook Cemetery charts, it shows that Doc Thomas, his wife, Rebecca Pynchon, and Sarah Pynchon all died in the 1790s. As explained before, Ruggles Jr. stated that the heir must make sure that Cuff is to “be Comfortably Taken care of & Provided For During Life by my Heir”, In Sarah Ruggles’ probate records, it shows that she dies while still in debt to Ebenezer Hopson, for the care of Cuff. She knew that she had to take care of the enslaved person because in the will from Thomas Ruggles Junior, it elaborates that Cuff must be taken care of for his entire life. Since Sarah did not want to break his trust, and did not have the strength to take care of Cuff, she had to pay someone else to. Her probate inventory was taken in 1808, over forty years after the original will and testament of Thomas Ruggles Junior. Cuff survived this all. This shows agency and resistance, or enslaved people proving that they were still free people by doing things that they wouldn’t be usually allowed to do. Some slaves did it as marriage, making their own money, or hosting gatherings and elections within the slave population. But Cuff used agency and resistance by outliving all of his original owners. By showing that he could survive longer, even after all he had been through.

In conclusion, Cuff was an enslaved person who spent his whole life as a slave but was able to have examples of all of the elements of slavery in his life. With all of this, he was able to inspire and show others slavery as a whole, along with many other slaves, and this all came together to get slavery abolished. It showed how slavery existed in the North as well as the South. We can all learn a lot from the story of Cuff.

Infographics from Foote School Students

WSP · Jun 2, 2022 ·

Made with Padlet

Witness Stones Project Reflection

WSP · Jun 2, 2022 ·

By Daven Kaphar, Class of 2022, The Foote School

I enjoyed the Witness Stones Project. I learned so much more about slavery in early America, but I found the story of Lois Tritton especially shocking. For a long time Lois and her mother thought they were free, just to be sold back in to slavery.

I felt like this was an amazing project. It was inspiring to actually be a historian, and look over primary documents and connect the pieces of this forgotten figure’s life. At times, I would find myself just looking at my screen, and not knowing what I was reading. The old English and the blurry script were difficult to decode. However, the transcribed documents helped. It was also useful to have a group to go to if I needed any more assistance.

The result was worth it though. While working on this project, it struck me that aside from the teacher and a few other people, my class and I were the only people to know this person existed. It felt cool at first, almost like when you are in a secret that no one else, save for you and your friends, know. Then I realized, the world deserves to know about this person.

I feel it is my duty to spread the story of Lois, not just because she was an amazing person, but because at the time she was alive, being an abolitionist, not many people supported what she was doing. I think she would be proud of how far we have come. I admire her for her ability to be so many things at once.

In class, we were asked to describe Lois in one word. The word that came up the most often was mother. I felt something was off. We had been learning about her for weeks, yet all we could say off the top of our heads was that she was a mother. When I got home that day, I made a list of other words that could describe her. It surprised me how little I could come up with. Then it hit me. Lois’s life was way too complex to be described in one word. Yes she was a mother. Yes, she was a daughter. And, yes, she was enslaved, but that didn’t define her.

The sad truth is, without actually knowing someone, it is nearly impossible to describe them. We may know when Lois was born (1799), or when she became a member of the church (1819), or when John Nicholl signed a quitclaim (1825), and we can use these facts to construct a skeleton of what her life was like, but we may never know what Lois Tritton was really like as a person. This assignment opened my eyes to that, and I am grateful. I will be lucky if I can do another project as special as this in the future.

Witness Stones Project Reflection

WSP · Jun 2, 2022 ·

By Gus Witt, Class of 2022, The Foote School

This Witness Stones project was the most challenging and intriguing academic work I have ever done. I knew a bit about slavery in the United States prior to the Witness Stones research, but the new information from this research gave me a distinct perspective and distinct opportunity to learn about topics I wouldn’t be able to absorb as well or even at all in a textbook.

The focus, preparation, and intense workload made this project both enjoyable at some points and demanding at others. I have learned about Lois Tritton’s life and the way she affected her community, and I also have a more general understanding of slavery in that time period, and how even after emancipation the hardships of being a Black person in America were no less prevalent.

I have learned of the meticulous financial process that an enslaved person would go through when they were part of a sale or when they were emancipated, and how the control was never in the hands of the person being sold. Even when Lucy and Lois Tritton were emancipated, they had no jurisdiction over the situation.

I have learned about people like Frederick Douglass, an influential abolitionist who was not afraid to speak harshly and with condemnation concerning slavery, while knowingly  jeopardizing his freedom and livelihood. I also learned about people like John Nicholl, who saw other human beings as an investment and a way for people like him to profit.

Slavery remained in Connecticut and was not abolished (though restricted) for longer than in any other state in New England. In 1784, Connecticut passed an act ensuring that no enslaved woman born in America after March 1st, 1784, could continue to be enslaved after age 21. However, this did not apply to Lois Tritton because she was born in Nova Scotia, Canada. As a class we read a book called To Be A Slave by Julius Lester, which included quotes from enslaved and formerly enslaved people, stories of brutal beatings, and as well as the authors own experience with racism and segregation.

I know I not only was given information but also understood and comprehended its meaning and why it was significant, because of the way I was able to put together often broken pieces of a story or circumstance. This was an incredible story to research, and an opportunity to use the skills I have been getting better at all year.

 

 

 

Witness Stones Project Students Take History to the Street

WSP · May 23, 2022 ·


Through a project a year in the making, West Hartford will renamed a road in Blue Back Square to honor a mother and daughter who were held as slaves in town in the 18th century.

West Hartford to Rename Street in Honor of Two Enslaved Women

WSP · May 19, 2022 ·

By Deidre Montague in the Hartford Courant on May 19, 2022

WEST HARTFORD — The West Hartford Town Council unanimously agreed to change the name of a city street this week, a small move that points to a larger goal — changing the town’s physical landscape to bear witness to its history and culture.

New Street in Blue Back Square will henceforth be named Dinah Road, in honor of two women named Dinah who were enslaved in West Hartford in the mid-18th century.

The change, a nearly year-long process of gathering signatures and support, was spearheaded by the Mayor’s Youth Council and the Witness Stones Project. Continue reading.

West Hartford Will Name Street After 2 Enslaved Women

WSP · May 19, 2022 ·

By Gabby DeBenedictis on Patch.com on May 19, 2022

WEST HARTFORD, CT — The West Hartford town council voted unanimously to rename New Street in Blue Back Square “Dinah Road,” and according to the Hartford Courant the name is designed to honor two women who were enslaved in town.

The women, a mother and daughter both named Dinah, were forced to work on an estate where Hall High School is now located in the mid-1700s, the Courant reported, citing town historian Tracey Wilson. Continue reading.

Dinah Road: New Name for New Street Approved by West Hartford Town Council

WSP · May 16, 2022 ·

The name of New Street in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square will be changed to Dinah Road. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

By Ronni Newton on We-Ha.com on May 16, 2022

A campaign by the Mayor’s Youth Council to rename a West Hartford roadway in honor of two women who were once enslaved in town was approved unanimously by the Town Council on May 10.

Mayor’s Youth Council members Tzionya Goldfischer, a student at the New England Jewish Academy, and Sarah Granquist and Priya Sinha, both students at Hall High School, have been working closely with Town Historian Tracey Wilson to gain approval to change the name of New Street, a roadway in Blue Back Square that runs between Raymond and Isham roads, to Dinah Road. Dinah, and her daughter, who was also named Dinah, were once enslaved in the West Division of Hartford, now known as West Hartford. Continue reading.

Caesar Stevenson

WSP · May 13, 2022 ·

With the generous support of the Connecticut Valley Education Foundation, the students of Frank Ward Strong Middle School created a presentation on  their work with the Witness Stones Project.

 

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