Travis Bowman, Head of Museum Collections for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation's Bureau of Historic Sites, presents Slavery and the Middle Class in Colonial New York at the Victoria Pool House in Saratoga Spa State Park. Usually considered a Southern issue, slavery played a surprisingly large role in colonial and revolutionary era New York. Bowman will examine how slavery evolved in New York over 200 years, under the Dutch, British, and American systems of government, and how the institution was utilized at a local and personal level among middle class farmers in the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys.
This presentation is part of a series NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is hosting while the Solomon Northup "Hope Out of Darkness" statue is on display in front of the Lincoln Bathhouse (65 South Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866) at Saratoga Spa State Park. The 13-front bronze sculpture will be at the park until October 7, 2025.
Accessibility Note: Due to its historic nature, the Victoria Pool House has steps leading into the space. A ramp is located at the 58 Roosevelt Bar and Grill entrance, but a single stair leads into the Victoria Pool House room.
Image: Two Men Pointing at a Boy by Jan Luyken, c. 1711, Courtesy of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
Also check out other Workshops in Saratoga Springs.
