The Hidden Census Project
Isaac Mason’s Escape Site Joins the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom
A Legacy of Self-LiberationIn May 2025, the U.S. National Park Service named the Isaac Mason Escape Site to its National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program, one of only 31 new listings nationwide. This is a powerful acknowledgment of the courage of Isaac Mason, a man born enslaved in Kent County who self-emancipated from slavery and later published his story here in Worcester, MA in … Continue reading Isaac Mason’s Escape Site Joins the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom
Slavery did Exist in New England
Slavery did exist here, both Africans and Indigenous peoples were enslaved. Written records online can be difficult to find though paper trails exist throughout the 6 states. Below are some statistics. Connecticut Rhode Island Vermont New Hampshire Maine Massachusetts 1754 Slave Census in Massachusetts In 1754, Governor William Shirley had ordered that an enumeration of all enslaved individuals, both male and female, over the age … Continue reading Slavery did Exist in New England
Reconstructing Family Trees Post-Emancipation
3 Key Steps After the 1870 Census After the Civil War, once enslaved Black families began to appear in U.S. federal records by name for the first time. The 1870 census is the earliest point where formerly enslaved people were recorded in a standardized, accessible way. That makes it a starting line for many researchers building African American family trees. But finding someone in 1870 … Continue reading Reconstructing Family Trees Post-Emancipation
Indigenous Connecticut
The Mohegan Story: Alliance, Adaptation, and Endurance The Mohegan people, whose history is deeply rooted in the lands of what is now Connecticut, were originally part of the larger Pequot tribe. But in the early 1600s, under the leadership of Uncas, the Mohegan emerged as a distinct tribal nation. Uncas made a strategic and often controversial decision: he chose to align the Mohegan with the … Continue reading Indigenous Connecticut
Indigenous Rhode Island
The history of the Narragansett Tribe is one of endurance, resistance, and the ongoing fight for sovereignty on their own homelands. In 1635, Roger Williams arrived in what is now Rhode Island and established a settlement on Narragansett territory—land that had long been inhabited and stewarded by the Narragansett people. During King Philip’s War in 1675, the Narragansetts allied with Metacom (also known as King … Continue reading Indigenous Rhode Island
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous Knowledges (IK)
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous Knowledges (IK) are related but distinct terms. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK): TEK usually refers specifically to the accumulated ecological knowledge, practices, and beliefs developed by Indigenous communities through generations of close interactions and careful observations of the natural world. It is deeply place-based, holistic, adaptive, and integrates spiritual, ethical, and practical understandings. Key Features of TEK: Example of TEK … Continue reading Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous Knowledges (IK)
Cheryll Toney Holley 