Category: 18th Century
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Old North and Black Freedom
In this episode of Illuminating the Unseen, Jaimie examines the struggle for Black freedom in Massachusetts from 1723 – 1795. Jaimie tracks what the lives of free and enslaved Black people at Old North looked like before slavery was abolished in Massachusetts and how their lives changed during the years right after slavery ended in…
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The Social Construction of Race in Early Massachusetts History
In this episode of Illuminating the Unseen, Jaimie examines the story of Beulah Speene, a mixed-race woman who was married at Old North Church in 1767. Curiously, Beulah’s birth record suggests that she was white, yet Old North’s marriage records indicate that she was a person of color. How does a person, over the course…
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Old North and Enslaved People in the British Colonial Period
In this episode of Illuminating the Unseen, Jaimie discusses slavery in Boston during the British colonial period. How did it differ from Southern slavery? How many enslaved people lived in Massachusetts? How did Old North congregants participate in and profit from slavery? Jaimie looks at a 1755 assessor’s report, a newspaper article, and tax records…
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Indigenous Women at Old North During the British Colonial Period
In this episode of Illuminating the Unseen, Jaimie shares primary sources that reveal the relationship that one adolescent Indigenous woman, a sixteen-year-old named Elizabeth, had with the Old North Church during the complicated days of the British colonial era. Jaimie examines Elizabeth’s story in the larger context of what it meant for Indigenous and Black…
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Race and Evangelism in the Church of England
In the first official episode of Illuminating the Unseen, Jaimie explores the Church of England’s views on Black and Indigenous people in the American colonies during the early days of the Old North Church. Jaimie looks at a 1754 sermon delivered by Rev. Dr. Timothy Cutler, the church’s first and longest-serving rector. Cutler’s words reveal…
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The People in the Pews: The Rev. Dr. Timothy Cutler
Year: 1723-1765 Pew # 27 The appointment of the Rev. Dr. Timothy Cutler as the first rector of Christ Church (Old North) was a bold statement by the embryonic congregation. Born in Charlestown, MA in 1684, Cutler attended Harvard College and served as a Congregational minister at his home church until 1709 when he was…
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99% Sure | Ep 10: How Much Did a Pew Cost?
How much did it cost to buy a box pew at Old North Church? The answer to this simple question is not so simple! In this new episode of 99% Sure, our researcher T.J. Todd takes a deep dive into the economics of owning a pew at Old North. See below for the video, episode…
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99% Sure | Ep 9: The Humphries Family
The Humphries were a free Black family who worshiped at Old North Church in the 1740s and 50s. They appeared frequently in church documents for around a decade before slowly disappearing from the record. Our researcher T.J. Todd pieces together their poignant story. See below for the video, episode transcript, extra information, and sources! Episode…
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The People in the Pews: The Crankey Family
The Crankey family’s story offers a glimpse into three generations of Old North congregation members. Alderman Crankey, a free Black man, was a mariner. His trade was inherently dangerous and, mindful of that, he prepared his Last Will and Testament on March 5, 1741. This document suggests Alderman Crankey’s values and priorities at that moment…
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The People in the Pews: Rev. Stephen Lewis
What happened to the Anglican community during the American Revolutionary War? The story of Old North’s third rector, the Rev. Stephen Lewis, sheds some light on this period of great change. In the summer of 1776, Rev. Lewis set sail from England with General Burgoyne’s 16th Regiment of Light Dragoons (mounted infantry). Lewis was the…