Browse Items (48 total)
- Collection: Vermont Black History Archive
Sort by:
Bill of sale of a "Negro Woman Slave, " Dinah
Although Vermont prohibited slavery in its constitution of 1777, slavery persisted in the state after that date. One of the most famous examples is Dinah, a slave owned by Vermont Supreme Court justice Stephen Jacob of Windsor. This is a typescript…
"Judge Jacob and his Dinah" (magazine article)
This 1914 article explains the notorious case of the Selectmen of Windsor v. Stephen Jacob, Esq. The defendant had held a negro woman, Dinah, as a slave for many years but when she became infirm the town became responsible for her care. The…
1st Vermont, National Guard, 1892
After the Civil War, the Vermont national Guard was a popular activity for Vermont men. This photo was taken at Camp Governor Page in Montpelier. According to the caption on the back it shows the "Big 4" leaders of the unit: left to right,…
Vermont delegation, National VFW Encampment, Philadelphia, 1930
This photograph was taken at the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Encampment (i.e., convention) in Philadelphia in August 1930 where veterans advocated for increased benefits at the beginning of the Depression. The Vermont delegation is identified…
Black American Girl in School Group
This photograph shows Gertie Brooks, a Black American school girl, with her classmates on the steps of a school house in Berlin, Vermont, ca. 1875. Next to Gertie is Eugenia Selina. In the door in front of the teacher are Eugene Smith and Eldon…
Young Black American Girl with Man
This photograph shows a young Black American girl in fancy clothing posing with an old man. We do not know the identity of these two people or their relationship.
George Mero, Woodstock, Vt.
Photograph of African American man, George Mero of Woodstock, ca. 1860. According to the 1860 census George Mero, age 25, lived in Woodstock with his father Hezakiah (50), mother Harriett (45), brother Charles (20), brother Sylvester (12), and…
Julius Willard, Banjo Player
Julius (a.k.a. Julian) Willard, 1857-1914, was a blind musician who lived with the Perham family of Cambridgeport (Rockingham), Vermont. He was the son of Linus B. and Harriet Clark Willard. The family lived in Cavendish, Chester, and Westminster,…
Julius Willard and Alice Perham, Musicians
Julius (a.k.a. Julian) Willard poses with a ukulele with two other musicians. The woman with the banjo in thought to be his friend Alice Perham. The identity of the man with the guitar is unknown. Willard and Perham were known to give musical…
Julius Willard and Alice Perham on Swing
Musicians Julius (a.k.a. Julian) Willard and Alice Perham sit on a lawn swing and play their instruments.
CCC Chow Line in Groton, Vermont.
The Civilian Conservation Corps, a Depression-era program to provide jobs for unemployed men in the Vermont forests, brought some African-Americans to Vermont. According to some histories of the time, this was the first time that many Vermonters had…
The letters of Louden S. Langley
Langley was an African- American born into a large farm family in Huntington, Vermont. Educated and articulate, he posted many newspaper editorials decrying the colonization schemes of the mid-1800's, the evils of slavery, and the unjust treatment of…
Featured Item
Good Templars, circa 1907
A group of men and women belonging to the lodge of Good Templars stand for their portrait on the steps of the Knights of Pylthias building. The…