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archaeologist may have discovered the foundations of the house of " King " Pompey , an eighteenth - century enslave West African man in Massachusetts who became one of the first Black landholder of colonial New England after gaining freedom .
This discovery may serve researchers better understand the fete known as Negro Election Day , when enslaved and free Black men vote for their own loss leader , who apply law and mediated dispute with the white residential area .
Kabria Baumgartner, Northeastern University historian (left), and Meghan Howey, University of New Hampshire archaeologist (right), examine the handmade pebble foundation that may be the remains of King Pompey’s home.
In the New England neighborhood , some of the people who were traffic across the Atlantic Ocean in the early 1700s were of royal African inheritance . They were bring to the area and forced to puzzle out at ports and on farms . In at leastfour colonies — Massachusetts , Connecticut , Rhode Island and New Hampshire — enslave Africans maintained one of their customs : electing a leader known as a " B. B. King " or a " regulator . "
One of these leaders , Pompey , may have been born a prince in West Africa and come to Massachusetts in bondage at some point in the former 1700s . Historical accountssuggest that Pompey was a community leader who host Negro Election Day issue at his own property along the Saugus River just north of Boston , which he bought after being unloose .
" King Pompey was an esteemed drawing card in the Black community but his home and attribute have always been a mystery,“Kabria Baumgartner , a historian at Northeastern University who is part of the research team look for Pompey ’s firm , said in astatement .
One of the river rocks that was used to form a foundation of what was likely King Pompey’s homestead.
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The researchers first scoured diachronic property human action to learn that Pompey purchase 2 land ( 0.8 hectare ) of land along the Saugus River in 1762 , where he built a low Oliver Stone house for himself and his married woman , Phylis ( or Phebe , it ’s unclear which is correct ) . The team then compared historic maps and newspaper articles with contemporary lidar - created maps — topography maps created from optical maser pulses shot from an aircraft — to specialise down the area of Pompey ’s house using specific landmarks .
About 4 feet ( 1.2 meter ) below ground , the squad hit a foundation made of hand - cheat river rocks , which matched description in the diachronic records . " The with child find was the hand-crafted pebble foundation,“Meghan Howey , an archaeologist at the University of New Hampshire who is part of the inquiry team , said in the affirmation . " I ’m extremely surefooted this is a basis from the 1700s and everything that designate to this being the home of King Pompey is very compelling . "
investigator are n’t sure exactly when Pompey was elected king , buthistorical recordssuggest he served in this position more than once in the 1750s , by which metre he was host Negro Election Day at his own household .
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Coinciding with the colonies - wide Election Day for blank male property owners , in the mid-18th century Black people in New England gathered to select residential area leader and to maintain sleeper with one another and with their African cultural heritage . Thefestival — which could last for up to a week — include euphony , terpsichore , singing and game . Participants wore fashionable wear — often mimicking white people ’s dress — eat peculiar food like gingerbread andheld parades .
" I ’ve always been beguile by those momentaneous individual and intimate moments outside of the sleepless centre of an enslaver when Black masses could be themselves and enjoy each other and be in biotic community , " Baumgartner say .
In2022 , the Massachusetts legislature give the third Saturday in July each class as Negro Election Day , continuing a tradition that begin more than 280 years ago .
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