Perhaps the most compelling story of the Hempsted Houses
property is that of Adam Jackson, who was enslaved by Joshua Hempsted in the
first half of the eighteenth century.
Because Joshua was a dedicated (or dogged) diarist, documentation of
Adam’s daily life exists at a level that is unparalleled.
The story of Adam Jackson is a crucial piece to
understanding the complex social, economic, and domestic history of New London
and New England, and we anticipate that his story will form a core component of
the reinterpretation of the Hempsted Houses property.
Happily, Yale historian Allegra di Bonaventura has spent
considerable time teasing out Adam’s story, and her book, For Adam's Sake: A Family Saga in Colonial New England, will be
out later this month. For those of you
who cannot wait to learn more, however, The
Chronicle of Education just published a short essay adapted from the book. I’ll be cracking open my (pre-ordered) copy
of the book the day it arrives.
Susie Wilkening is a Senior Consultant and Curator of Museum
Audiences at Reach Advisors. She will be
leading several phases of audience research for this project.
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