Lecture: Enslaved Lives Through Senate House Archives
The Senate House Archives are home to thousands of 18th century documents, where one can catch glimpses into daily life in Kingston, NY. Amongst these letters, accounts and inventories, are brief mentions of the enslaved population, whether they were sent by their enslaver to pick up items, worked on the sloops, or even faced being sold to another family. Combing through these documents, one can start piecing together the lives they were living in Kingston and view with a broader lens on how a new country was shaping their futures. Laura Hertle has been with the Senate House State Historic Site for 6 years as the Senior Interpreter. She plays a lead role in the site’s interpretation, including leading historic house tours, developing education programming, and conducting research. She has a particular interest in the site archives and has worked extensively on assisting with research requests and organizing the site’s holdings. Laura has her Bachelors of Arts in Anthropology from SUNY Potsdam.
