Slavery in Westford 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 lives 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 may view the rest of the collection here.
Leslie Howard shares her research in the podcast below
Once Know: A History of Slavery in Westford (Part one)
Additional Reading:
Leslie Howard is the President of the Westford Historical Society and has been a board member since 2014. She is passionate about museums’ ability to engage and inspire the public. Leslie has been involved in the museum sector since 2006, working with institutions such as the Nichols House Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Museum of Science.
She holds a Master of Liberal Arts in Museum Studies from Harvard University Extension School, where her thesis was titled “All History is Contemporary: Making the Case for Collecting Contemporary Objects at History Institutions.” Additionally, Leslie earned a Master of Arts in American History, a Bachelor of Arts in History, and a Minor in Writing from Providence College.
Leslie resides in Forge Village with her husband and three children. In her free time, she enjoys watching her kids play sports, reading, and researching for the book she has published.
Howard: Once Known, Slavery in Westford
published: May 2024
