African Heritage

In Dutchess County, burial of Persons of Color took place in separate, segregated cemeteries into the early 20th century. The last known such burial was Lemuel Jackson of Red Hook, buried in the Turkey Hill “Colored Cemetery” in the Town of Milan in 1927. In addition to segregated cemeteries, there were segregated sections of larger cemeteries, often disallowing permanent markers. There were homestead or farm burials, as was the tradition especially prior to the Civil War. There were some, but few instances where highly regarded servants were buried in a predominantly White cemetery.

Powerful Personal Stories Focusing on numbers can divert our attention away from the personal, powerful stories of endurance and achievement. These items from DCHS Collections reveal how the legal system imposed a legal definition on men, women and children declaring them as legal property. A woman named Rachel is “sold” to Christian Tobias on February 4, 1771 Town of Washington permits Isaac Smith to manumit an enslaved woman named Dinah, February 1826 Bartholomew Noxon, Jr., records payments by his “negro boy Cezar” who purchases his own freedom September 1771, Francis Brett “sells” a man, two woman and a boy to family members Dick of Fishkill is sold for $200 Newspaper ads reflect buying and selling and notice of freedomseekers From Other Collections Indictment cites Johannes Radcliff’s illegal “entertaining” of 20 enslaved persons Rhinebeck’s Dr. Ananias Cooper writes to Robert Livingston at Livingston Manor about the condition of one of his enslaved men, June 30, 1783 Janet Montgomery purchases a 14-year old girl