E-Newsletter | June 19, 2020
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Save the Date: Sunday, July 5, 2020
Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in February 1818, the son of an enslaved woman who died when he was seven and a white man he never identified.
Some of his youth was spent with his grandparents and an aunt. When he was eight, he was sent to Baltimore, where he lived with a ship's carpenter and learned to read. He later said of this experience, [Baltimore] "laid the foundation, and opened the gateway, to all my subsequent prosperity." By the time he was 15, he was sent to a farm where he was brutally treated by a slave breaker named Edward Covey.
By 1838, he achieved his dream of escaping from Baltimore where he was working at a shipyard. He fled the city arriving in New York on September 4. With him traveled Anna Murray, an abolitionist whom he met in Baltimore, and whom he married under his new name,
Frederick Douglass.
Douglass made his way to New Bedford where he was a laborer. There, he became acquainted with the
Liberator
, an anti-slavery newspaper edited by William Lloyd Garrison, Newburyport native, who, for a time, became Douglass's advocate and mentor. Douglass began attending anti-slavery meetings and spoke at a convention held on Nantucket in 1841, giving a powerful and eloquent speech about his life in slavery.
After the convention, John A. Collins, a general agent of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, urged Douglass to become a lecturer for his organization. It was with Collins that Douglass arrived in Newburyport in September 1841 – just three years after his miraculous escape from slavery. He spoke at the Prospect Street Church on the corner of Fair and Prospect Streets and stayed at the home of abolitionist Richard Plumer on Federal Street.
The trip was not an easy one as the conductor on the train carrying them to New Hampshire requested that Douglass move to the rear of the train, and by the time he reached Dover, his clothes were torn and he had been beaten.
Douglass prevailed, building his career as a leading spokesman for abolition and racial equality. Throughout the 19th century, he was recognized in this country and Europe as a powerful orator, writer and activist for equal rights for both African Americans and women.
On Sunday, July 5, the museum and the First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist will commemorate Frederick Douglass's life and work with its third annual community reading of Douglass's impassioned 1852 speech, “The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro."
The original oration, also presented on July 5, was given at the
Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society
in Rochester, New York, a city that was a center of abolitionist activities. This emotionally powerful and thought-provoking speech is as relevant today as it was in Douglass’s own lifetime.
The reading will be followed by a discussion led by humanities scholar Edward Carson. Carson, an independent historian, is also Dean of Multicultural Education and a member of the history department at The Governor's Academy, Byfield, Massachusetts. This program is funded in part by Mass Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist and the Museum of Old Newbury will host a virtual community reading of Frederick Douglass's impassioned 1852 speech, “The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro.” Lend your voice to this powerful participatory event.
(Editor's Note: For further reading, we recommend
Frederick Douglass, Prophet of Freedom
by David W. Blight. The book was selected as one of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of 2018.)
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Prospect Street Church where Frederick Douglass spoke to the residents of Newburyport in September 1841. Photo from the museum's collection.
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Clipper Heritage Trail - Vol. I Now in Print!
What began as
a series of self-guided history tours accessed via a website and smart phones, as well as printed brochures and a promotional video, is now a book.
Ghlee E. Woodworth
is a Newburyport native and 12th-generation descendant of Robert Adams, one of the first settlers of Newbury. She has compiled the first nine self-guided tours into a bound volume.
300 fact-filled pages, 370 compelling images, maps and legends focus mostly on the 1800s in the downtown area with the addition of "Ashes to Restoration - The Story of Our Downtown," a more current tour about the Great Fire of 1811 and how the downtown was saved from the Urban Renewal bulldozers.
Pay just $35 (includes tax) for
Newburyport Clipper Heritage Trail - Volume I;
add $5 (includes tax) and receive her fascinating
Tiptoe Through the Tombstones, Oak Hill Cemetery.
Find Ghlee today and every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.; Sundays 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. through July 5, 2020, in the Brown Chapel, Oak Hill Cemetery Brown and State Streets.
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NewburyHistory.org Boasts New Look
Be sure to visit
www.NewburyHistory.org
and check out our new look! Easily find previous puzzles, see the evolution of Bob Watts' "Gardens at the MOON" series or watch an episode of "Yeat Yeat, Don't Tell Me!"
Susan C.S. Edwards,
executive director for the museum, explains, "We wanted our website to be more vibrant and reflective of the online efforts we are implementing to engage our members and visitors."
"The menu at the top of the page still easily points you to research and donation options, for example, but the landing page itself is much more interactive,"
Colleen Turner Secino,
marketing and membership engagement manager, observes.
And, of course, get each day's History Happening and other information by following us on your favorite social media site:
Facebook
,
Twitter
or
Instagram
.
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Special Guest Bethany Groff Dorau Elevates "Yeat Yeat, Don't Tell Me!" to New Heights
Self-proclaimed history nerd, author, preservationist and all-around great gal,
Bethany Groff Dorau,
joined "Yeat Yeat, Don't Tell Me!" hosts,
Jack Santos,
Custom House Maritime Museum, and
Colleen Turner Secino,
Museum of Old Newbury, to talk all things Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, Historic New England and the general Newbury area this past Friday, June 12.
Dorau is North Shore regional site administrator for Historic New England. In addition to the farm and others, she oversees three Newbury-area period properties including the Dole-Little, Coffin and Swett-Ilsley Houses.
Secino observes, "Bethany definitely upped our game! She sure knows her history and was a delightful addition. You can rest assured, she will be back."
You can play along, too. Try your hand at the questions
here
. For answers, click
here
, or watch the 1/2 hour show
here
.
Zoom in
here
for the next episode on Friday, June 26, 2020 @ 12:00 p.m.
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Something is Always Cooking at the Museum
Nothing says summer like grilled seafood! Volunteer extraordinaire
Alice Gould
shares her simple and yummy favorite. Served with mixed salad or over rice.
Grilled Shrimp
2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled (31-35 count)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
Hot red pepper flakes to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Mix all above ingredients. For 2 pounds of large shrimp, marinate 30-60 minutes.
Use skewers to spear shrimp from tail end to head end. Grill shrimp over medium-hot fire, turning often (honey could stick and burn), until pink, around 5-8 minutes.
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ICYMI: Puzzle Me This...Peony for your Thoughts
Coming to a desktop near you…the 41st Annual Garden Tour.
We can't be together this year for the Garden Tour, but we are putting together a virtual tour featuring four area gardens.
Access to the virtual tours is free (although donations are always appreciated:
https://www.newburyhistory.org/donate
), and will feature segments on the value of composting (available June 30, 2020); backyard retreats (available July 30 and August 30, 2020); and from-garden-to-table (dropping September 15, 2020).
With your narrator,
Bill Hallett,
and the camera magic of Museum of Old Newbury Board Members,
Dan Fionte & Bob Watts,
it won’t be the same as being there yourself, but it will be close.
Click on the image above to begin puzzle.
(*ICYMI: In Case You Missed It)
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During this difficult period of COVID-19, we rely on your support more than ever. We are working to reschedule many of the programs that we have had to postpone, as well as develop new, online programs for you to enjoy and keep us connected. We hope, if you are able, that you will consider a
donation
to the museum. Thank you for your continued support.
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Museum of Old Newbury
98 High Street
Newburyport, MA 01950
978-462-2681
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