Seven Indigenous men were enslaved in Brookline in 1675. Tounnaguin, George William, Great David, Reube, John Indian and Hawkins. As King Philip’s War raged, colonists feared the presence of strong young Indigenous men who had survived colonial genocide. Two Brookline whites, Lancelott Talbot and Joseph Smith, enslaved these seven men to remove them from the colony to sell into the Caribbean. Before they were shipped away, those who were married were forced to make a cruel choice: their wives could go with them or could stay. Boston kept close records about such transactions: Hawkins decided to leave his wife here , while Sarah, the wife of Great David, was sold into the Caribbean. It is unlikely that Sara and Great David knew that, once in the Caribbean, they might be sold to different owners. We must not forget these men.
In the years 1619-1619, an epidemic decimated the Native coastal population, a few years before the Pilgrims arrived. The disease came from Europe, where most had some immunity, to the Americas where Indigenous peoples had no such immunity against these diseases. The devastating numbers of dead left left open much land in the Boston area and beyond.
Colonization led to the taking of remaining Native lands and the removal of many Natives into Caribbean slavery. One major obstacle remained as the number of settlers tripled in the second half of the 17th century: the continued presence of Indigenous people and the lands they still held. Wars against the Indigenous people continued. In 1676, deaths from King Philip’s War included 800 settlers, as well as several thousand Native people. Those remaining were largely pushed off the land, and the loss of almost all sovereignty for those who remained.
Yet colonists in Brookline and across the colony still feared the presence of the remaining healthy young Native men. Part of the settlers’ solution was to sell defeated and captured Native peoples into slavery in the Caribbean.
In an Important Sense New England's Slave Plantations Were Located in the Carribean
This “export” of people was an early part of the all-important Massachusetts-Caribbean slavery ties. Caribbean plantation owners grew sugar, but needed food for their many thousands of slaves who grew this unusually lucrative crop. The plantation owners did not want to waste their sugar land on growing foods, so Boston and other nearby ports supplied the needed foods. Boston ships brought salt cod, cattle, foods, light manufactured goods and more.[1] As they headed back home, these ships were laden with goods to sell: slaves, sugar, molasses and more.[2] With more White immigrants owning more land, slaves were “needed” to labor in the lands, especially in the region near the port of Boston. Thus, slavery enriched Brookline and the region.
Because of the colonization of Native lands and and because of slavery, Brookline and the larger region prospered and grew, while at the same time strengthening the Caribbean slave economy.[3]
Brookline was in an ideal location, as it bordered Boston with its robust market. Enslaved people were key to growing the wealth of their Brookline owners, Brookline became known for its fine grazing land. Cattle were were in demand locally and in the Caribbean. Brookline farmers also grew fruit and vegetable crops for market. Here some of the enslaving farmers became widely known for the quality and variety of their fruits. The largest farms were near to Boston, some with over three hundred acres.
List of Enslavers & Enslaved→
Colonization led to the taking of remaining Native lands and the removal of many Natives into Caribbean slavery. One major obstacle remained as the number of settlers tripled in the second half of the 17th century: the continued presence of Indigenous people and the lands they still held. Wars against the Indigenous people continued. In 1676, deaths from King Philip’s War included 800 settlers, as well as several thousand Native people. Those remaining were largely pushed off the land, and the loss of almost all sovereignty for those who remained.
Yet colonists in Brookline and across the colony still feared the presence of the remaining healthy young Native men. Part of the settlers’ solution was to sell defeated and captured Native peoples into slavery in the Caribbean.
In an Important Sense New England's Slave Plantations Were Located in the Carribean
This “export” of people was an early part of the all-important Massachusetts-Caribbean slavery ties. Caribbean plantation owners grew sugar, but needed food for their many thousands of slaves who grew this unusually lucrative crop. The plantation owners did not want to waste their sugar land on growing foods, so Boston and other nearby ports supplied the needed foods. Boston ships brought salt cod, cattle, foods, light manufactured goods and more.[1] As they headed back home, these ships were laden with goods to sell: slaves, sugar, molasses and more.[2] With more White immigrants owning more land, slaves were “needed” to labor in the lands, especially in the region near the port of Boston. Thus, slavery enriched Brookline and the region.
Because of the colonization of Native lands and and because of slavery, Brookline and the larger region prospered and grew, while at the same time strengthening the Caribbean slave economy.[3]
Brookline was in an ideal location, as it bordered Boston with its robust market. Enslaved people were key to growing the wealth of their Brookline owners, Brookline became known for its fine grazing land. Cattle were were in demand locally and in the Caribbean. Brookline farmers also grew fruit and vegetable crops for market. Here some of the enslaving farmers became widely known for the quality and variety of their fruits. The largest farms were near to Boston, some with over three hundred acres.
List of Enslavers & Enslaved→