Yes, there was slavery here
STAFF FILE PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS
Published: 2/4/2021 12:52:36 PM
In 1641, Massachusetts was the first North American colony to legalize slavery, which was at that time a common practice in New England. Africans and their descendants were enslaved by ministers and other prominent citizens in many local towns, including Greenfield, Deerfield, Northfield, Sunderland, Hatfield and Amherst.
The slave trade — from capturing, buying and selling Africans to providing goods and services, such as ship-building, for those trading in human beings — formed an important part of New England’s economy. The first slave ship from Massachusetts was launched in 1636, by the prestigious Winthrop family. Boston later became a hub of the trade in enslaved Africans.