I read with interest Jonathon Baird’s My Turn on March 13 about New England’s early slave trade. Yes, it is eye opening to learn about this sad part of our history. However, one fact he cites is that our New Hampshire Legislature only abolished slavery in 1857. However, this is misleading and is only part of the story. The total number of slaves in our state was 647 in 1773 but only 46 in 1786 because New Hampshire offered bounties to slaveowners willing to free their slaves in order to serve in the continental army. Furthermore, the 1800 census revealed that there were only eight slaves in our state, and thereafter there were virtually none.
We also can be proud of our own Senator John P. Hale, the first abolitionist in the U.S. Senate who went around the state from town to town in 1845 to speak out about the evils of slavery. It was known as “The Hale Storm of ‘45.” Also, New Hampshire was one of only five states in the country to give Black citizens the right to vote in the 1860 election. I certainly commend Mr. Baird for his column. Nevertheless, on the positive side let’s take note of the few efforts in our own state history to do away with the horrendous evil of slavery.
William Judd
Concord