Black Yankees and The Sea

PORTSMOUTH
Black Heritage Trail
Black Yankees and The Sea
People of African-origin or descent have been
part of Portsmouth since at least 1645. This
waterfront was an entry port for enslaved
people arriving in New Hampshire during the
1600s and 1700s. Ships brought black children
and adults directly from Africa and from the
West Indies or southern colonies. These
"servants" worked in Portsmouth-houses, craft
shops, farms, and at sea. By 1800, slavery
was ending in New Hampshire: Black people
continued to work this port into the 20th
century, at the Naval Shipyard and as mariners
and members of the armed forces.