Hudson Valley Stories
MHAHP is committed to researching, learning about, and sharing the stories of enslavement, antislavery, and abolition in New York’s Hudson Valley. We are interested in making these stories—often untold—more visible to the public eye. Thus, we have created a new initiative called Hudson Valley Stories in an effort to share important information about influential local people, places, and movements.
Each story is researched and written by local students and community members on topics of interest. While the stories are short in length, often hovering around just 500 words, we think they will serve as valuable introductions to important figures and moments in New York’s history and will inspire further inquiry. History is most powerful when it is shared with others. We welcome you to this new, ongoing collection of short historical stories and look forward to your feedback.
If you are interested in working on a story, please contact us!
By Rebecca Weinstein, Vassar College ’25
By Arlene Chen
By Arlene Chen
Slavery in the North is often viewed as something fundamentally different from slavery in the South. Sojourner Truth’s experiences in Ulster County, New York offer a powerful lens…
Known as a prominent advocate in the movements for women’s rights and for abolition, Lucretia Mott was an influential figure who spent her formative years in the Hudson Valley…
Combing through newspapers from the late 1700s and early 1800s reveals many ads from enslavers searching for runaway slaves, but not many responses from those who self-emancipated…
By Arlene Chen
The story of Elizabeth Freeman is a powerful tale of a woman who was enslaved who challenged the meaning of the Massachusetts Constitution. Her actions helped lead to the freedom of those enslaved in Massachusetts…
