Samuel Anderson: The Last Flatbush Slave
Augustus W. Harris
Samuel Anderson, my great-great-grandfather, was born 17 February 1813 at Jeremiah Lott’s farm, on Flatbush Avenue near Cortelyou Road. His mother was Isabella Butler, a slave in Jeremiah Lott’s house, while his father, Samuel Anderson, was owned by Richard Remsen.
In 1813, Flatbush Town, a small farming community, was the leading center for slave holding in Kings County. Seventy-three percent of its households owned at least one slave and over sixty percent owned five or more slaves. The average per household was 5.7 slaves.
Stories about Flatbush farm life say the farms produced almost everything they needed, including supplies, clothing and food. Farmers divided the work by gender and everyone (slaves, owners, and bond servants) shared the chores.
Men collected timber, cultivated and harvested crops, tended animals, hunted, and mended tools. Women were responsible for the domestic work, including cooking, sewing, washing, ironing, soap and candle making, egg gathering, and taking care of poultry. Slaves, both male and female, were also responsible for tending the fireplace, cleaning the chimney, and slaughtering animals.
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June 20
Brooklyn Public Library-Art and Genealogy
Come to create a piece of art inspired by your family lineage. Create a visual piece of art, using maps, ...
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June 26
NYPL-Getting Started in Genealogy Research
Start your family history research at NYPL. Learn about the library’s genealogy resources, discover essential research methods and strategies, identify ...
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July 12
NYPL-Researching the History of Your New York City Home
Have you ever wondered about the history of your home? Who used to live there or what their lives were ...
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July 17
NYPL-African-American Genealogy Part I: An Introduction
From 1565 to 1790, Africans surpassed Europeans among the roughly one million newcomers to what would become the United States. ...
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July 20
NYPL-Finding Clues in Family Photos
This class invites attendees to explore genealogy research through family snapshots and other historic photographs. Attendees will gain insights ...
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July 21
NYPL-Database Weekends: Proquest Historical African American Newspapers
In anticipation of our upcoming Genealogy program on July 25th, hosted by Walter Scott, this session will focus on one ...
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July 25
NYPL-Genealogy: Become a Family History Hunter
Come join us for a program in Genealogy. Program will introduce you to Ancestry. Com. Various issues relating to Genealogical ...
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