Slavery in Westford it may be surprising, but there were at least 24 enslaved individuals in the town of Westford from 1730 to 1780. There is little in the historical record of these individuals and their lives, however some information has been compiled in an attempt to present what their life may have been like and to learn more about them.
Leslie Howard, President of the Westford Historical Society, will share her research of Peggy who was enslaved by Joseph Hildreth, Jr. and the other enslaved individuals in town.
The doll representation of Peggy is part of the Westford Women Doll Collection. You can view the rest of the collection here.
Leslie Howard, President of the Westford Historical Society; Leslie has been on the board of the Westford Historical Society since 2014. She believes in the power of museums to engage with and inspire the public. Leslie has been working in and with museums since 2006 including the Nichols House Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Museum of Science. She holds a Master of Liberal Arts in Museum Studies from Harvard University Extension School. Her thesis was titled: All History is Contemporary: Making the Case for Collecting Contemporary Objects at History Institutions. She also holds a Master of Arts in American History, Bachelor of Arts in History and Minor in Writing all from Providence College. Leslie lives in Forge Village with her husband and three children where she enjoys watching her kids play sports, reading, and researching for that book she wants to publish!