In researching African-American enslavement in Maine for eight years, I have seen a dramatic increase in interest in such history. We now recognize all we did not know, disturbing as that may be.
Tom Eastman’s article, “The surprising story of slavery in Fryeburg” (Feb. 4, 2022) is very timely. The subject is Limbo, who was kidnapped in Africa and brought to Maine in the mid-19th century. He spent his last years in Fryeburg. That is probably a surprise for many. But not to me.
kAmx 92G6 <?@H? {:>3@ 7@C D6G6C2= J62CD] x 5:D4@G6C65 E92E >J @H? |2:?6 2?46DE@CD 6?D=2G65 9:>[ 2D H6== 2D @E96CD] #62=:K:?8 E92E >J <?@H=6586 @7 9:DE@CJ — 2?5 @7 >J @H? 72>:=J — H2D 567:4:6?E[ x 6>32C<65 @? 2 >:DD:@? E@ =62C? 2== x 4@F=5 23@FE E96D6 :?5:G:5F2=D[ 2D H6== 2D 23@FE D=2G6CJ :? |2:?6 :? 86?6C2=] %96 C6DF=E :D %96 !C:?46 !C@;64E[ >J 52E232D6 4@?E2:?:?8 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE @G6C a[___ A6@A=6 @7 4@=@C :? |2:?6 AC:@C E@ `g__]k^Am
kAm#646?E=J[ x ;@:?65 pE=2?E:4 q=24< q@I[ H9:49 255C6DD6D E96 C@=6 @7 }6H t?8=2?5 :? E96 8=@32= 64@?@>J @7 6?D=2G6>6?E]k^Am
kAm~?46 96C6[ {:>3@ H2D 6?D=2G65 3J wF89 |4{6==2? :? v@C92>[ @?6 @7 >J 2?46DEC2= 8C2?572E96CD] %@> t2DE>2? HC@E6 E92E 9:D 6?D=2G6C H2D wF89’D D@?[ (:==:2>] (:==:2> 24EF2==J 6?D=2G65 E9C66 @E96C A6@A=6i 2 >2? ?2>65 !C:?46 2?5 9:D H:G6D[ s:?29 2?5 r9=@6] %H@ @E96C D@?D 2=D@ 42CC:65 @? E96 72>:=J AC24E:46 @7 6?D=2G6>6?E] r2CJ 925 2 >2? ?2>65 !=2E@[ 2?5 9:D 3C@E96C[ p=6I2?56C[ @?6 ?2>65 !C:>FD]k^Am
kAm%96 {:>3@ 2CE:4=6 :D 6DD6?E:2==J 4@CC64E] {:>3@ 5:5 CF? 2H2J 7C@> E96 |4{6==2?D[ 6?4@FC2865 3J E96 =@42= r@>6\@FE6CD 2?5 }6H {:89ED A6@A=6] w6 5:5 6?5 FA :? uCJ63FC8 2?5 H2D 3FC:65 :? E96 =@42= 46>6E6CJ] {:>3@’D 7C665@> :? E96 52JD 96 962565 ?@CE9 @FE @7 v@C92> H2D ?@E D9@CE\=:G65] x? 724E[ 96 DA6?E E96 =2DE cc J62CD @7 9:D =:76 2 7C66 >2?] w6 H2D 7C66 :7 96 C6>2:?65 :? |2:?6]k^Am
kAm|2DD249FD6EED[ H9:49 :?4=F565 |2:?6[ 5:D2==@H65 =682= D=2G6CJ :? `fgb] |@D6D p>6D 4@F=5 ?@E[ 27E6C E92E 52E6[ 3FJ @C D6== 2?J@?6 96C6] %96 u656C2= r6?DFD @7 `fh_ 2?5 36J@?5 92D 4@=F>?D =:DE:?8 “$=2G6D” 2?5 4@=F>?D 7@C “p== ~E96C uC66 !6@A=6]” u@C |2DD249FD6EED^|2:?6[ E96 “$=2G6D” 4@=F>?D 2C6 6>AEJ 3FE E96 “p== ~E96C uC66” 2C6 H96C6 A6@A=6 @7 4@=@C H6C6 =:DE65]k^Am
kAm%96 D2>6 H2D ?@E ECF6 @7 }6H w2>AD9:C6] p=E9@F89 E96 DE2E6 r@?DE:EFE:@? 564=2C65 E92E “2== >6? 2C6 3@C? 6BF2= 2?5 :?56A6?56?E[” E96 H@C5:?8 H2D ?@E DF77:4:6?E=J 492==6?865 2D :? :ED ?6:893@C:?8 DE2E6] }6H w2>AD9:C6 6?D=2G6>6?E 4@?E:?F65 :?E@ E96 `hE9 46?EFCJ[ H:E9 2 ?F>36C @7 A6@A=6 =:DE65 :? E96 “$=2G6D” 4@=F>? @? E96 r6?DFD @7 `fh_ 2D H6== 2D `g__]k^Am
kAm%96 @?=J H2J E92E {:>3@ 4@F=5 92G6 366? C6\6?D=2G65 H2D 3642FD6 96 4C@DD65 E96 =:?6 :?E@ }6H w2>AD9:C6 … 2?5 76== G:4E:> E@ A6@A=6 =:<6 |@D6D p>6D]k^Am
kAmw@H p>6D 2?5 DF3D6BF6?E=J $2>F6= ~D8@@5 4@F=5 92G6 C6D@=5 {:>3@ :? `fh_ :? uCJ63FC8 :D 2 >JDE6CJ 3642FD6 {:>3@ 4@F=5 ?@E =682==J 36 C6\6?D=2G65]k^Am
kAmuC66 @C ?@E[ {:>3@ H2D C682C565 2D 6?D=2G65 3642FD6 96 H2D q=24<]k^Am
kAmx 92G6 D66? C6A62E65=J 9@H :? E96 }@CE9[ H6 =:<6 E@ E9:?< E92E H6 EC62E65 @FC 6?D=2G65 A6@A=6 “36EE6C]” %96C6 :D ?@ “36EE6C” 7@C E96 6?D=2G65] (96E96C @?6 :D @? 2 $@FE96C? A=2?E2E:@? A:4<:?8 4@EE@? @C =:G:?8 :? 2 }6H t?8=2?5 2EE:4 5@:?8 @55 ;@3D[ 92G:?8 ?@ 7C665@> 2?5 36:?8 2E E96 >6C4J @7 @?6’D 6?D=2G6CD :D E96 D2>6]k^Am
kAm%96 7C66 {:>3@ H2D >:DEC62E65 3J E96 #6G] p>6D H:E9 2 G:@=6?46 C6D6CG65 7@C A6@A=6 4@?D:56C65 492EE6=] w6 H2D 6I492?865 7@C 42EE=6 >F49 =:<6 2? 6?D=2G65 >2? H@F=5 92G6 366?]k^Am
kAm$F3D6BF6?E=J[ ~D8@@5 “92?565 9:> 5@H?” 7@C 2 A:EE2?46 E@ E96 ?6IE 86?6C2E:@? ;FDE 2D 6?D=2G65 A6@A=6 H6C6 =:DE65 2>@?8 E96 =:G6DE@4< 2?5 7FC?:EFC6 :? H:==D 2?5 AC@32E6 C64@C5D]k^Am
kAm%96 C6DE @7 9:D =:76 {:>3@ DA6?E H@C<:?8 E96 EJA6D @7 ;@3D E92E 96 925 H96? 96 H2D :? v@C92>] x?DE625 @7 6DE23=:D9:?8 9:>D6=7 2D 2? :?56A6?56?E 4:E:K6?[ 96 H2D H9@==J 56A6?56?E FA@? 2 H9:E6 72>:=J]k^Am
kAm{:>3@ H2=<65 :?E@ E@H? 3642FD6 96 H2D 2 7C66 >2?[ ?@E 3642FD6 96 H2D “2==@H65” E@ 5@ D@ 3642FD6 @7 D@>6 DFAA@D65 <:?5?6DD @? E96 A2CE @7 E96 ~D8@@5 72>:=J] $2>F6= ~D8@@5 “?6G6C E9@F89E E@ 7C66 9:>” 3642FD6 {:>3@ H2D 2=C625J 56 724E@ 7C66]k^Am
kAm~E96C A6@A=6 @7 4@=@C H9@ 7@F?5 E96>D6=G6D :? |2:?6 2CC:G65 E@@ 62C=J 7@C 7C665@>] t2DE>2? >6?E:@?65 p36= r2CJ] w6 H2D 3C@F89E 3J 9:D 6?D=2G6C[ tK6<:6= (2=<6C[ :? E96 `fe_D] w6 C2? 2H2J @C[ 2D H6 D2J E@52J[ D6=7\6>2?4:A2E65]k^Am
kAm%96C6 H2D @?6 >@C6 >2?[ H9@D6 ?2>6 :D DE:== F?<?@H?] w6 H2D 3C@F89E E@ uCJ63FC8 3J y@D6A9 uCJ6 9:>D6=7 H96? 96 >@G65 :?E@ E96 2C62 7C@> p?5@G6C :? E96 `fe_D]k^Am
kAm%96D6 >6? 2C6 E9@D6 H6 92G6 >2?2865 E@ 7:?5] #64@C5D 2C6 D42C46] {@42= 9:DE@C:6D 2C6 G28F6] (6 2C6 4=F6=6DD 9@H >2?J @7 p7C:42? 56D46?E H6C6 24EF2==J 96C6] #6>6>36C:?8 E92E E96J 6I:DE65 :D 4C:E:42=]k^Am
kAm{:>3@’D 8C2G6DE@?6 :? E96 =@42= 46>6E6CJ :D 2 >@?F>6?E ?@E @?=J E@ 9:>[ 3FE 2=D@ E@ @E96C A6@A=6 @7 4@=@C H9@ 92G6 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ 567:?:?8 H92E :D |2:?6 E@52J]k^Am
kAmk6>m'2?2 r2C>@?2 :D 2 C6D:56?E @7 !@CE=2?5[ |2:?6] $96 :D E96 7@F?56C @7 %96 !C:?46 !C@;64E 2?5 :D E96 |2:?6 r@>>F?:EJ #6D62C49 s:C64E@C 7@C pE=2?E:4 q=24< q@I]k^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.