Essex County, Massachusetts was a diverse place in the late eighteenth century, populated by people from all over the world. Some were here voluntarily, while others had been brought here against their will. Indigenous tribes, Semitic peoples, Africans, and Europeans coexisted to form a society marked by social disparity and the injustice of slavery. People from all across this ethnic and social spectrum, both free and enslaved, played important roles in the events of the American Revolution, and here are some of their stories.
This online exhibit was a project of Salem State University students Krystina Yeager and Madden Brown in partnership with Essex Heritage. Exhibit design by Alisa Grishin.
To discover each of these stories, click on the buttons below:
Essex County Revolution 250 is an initiative of Essex Heritage in partnership with Massachusetts Rev250 and dozens of regional museums, heritage sites, and organizations, to raise awareness and highlight the diverse stories of Essex County, Massachusetts residents, free and unfree, during the American Revolutionary period. For more information visit essexheritage.org/rev250