So Many Souls: The Magnitude of Dutch Slavery in the Hudson Valley

Slavery in the North is a topic that not many people talk, or even know, about. In his ground-breaking work, Prof. Michael Douma provides a new interpretation of Dutch American slavery in the Upper Hudson Valley which changes much of the traditional assumptions about slavery in New York.

The story of northern slavery is a rich, complex and unique story just waiting to be told. It is not a better story than that of the South. It is certainly not more humane. It is just different.

• It is the story of slavery in the Dutch settled upper Hudson River Valley (e.g. Columbia County). The story of the enslaved Africans who were brought to what is now Albany in 1627 - only a few years after Henry Hudson explored the river which would come to bear his name. By the late 1700s, Kinderhook had more enslaved people than any other place outside of New York City.
• It is the story of the Dutch farmers and the African people they enslaved for more than 200 years (until 1827). Having no more than a handful of enslaved, the farmers worked side-by-side with them in the fields and slept in the same house (albeit in different areas) in the kitchen, cellar, or attic.
• It is the story of the enslaved who spoke Dutch, were skilled in several trades so that they could be leased out to other farms and as manumission approached, negotiated a status similar to an indentured servant. After emancipation, they often took the Dutch surnames of their former enslavers. And, - like other members of the Columbia County community - established their roots. They worked, married, established homes, had families, eventually died and were buried, here.

This free talk - which is co-hosted by the African American Archive of Columbia County and the Hudson Area Library will be hybrid (both in person and online). A Zoom link will be sent to registrants the day before the event. The talk will be followed by an audience Q& A. Refresehments will be served.