Slave Society Upon a Hill: A Historiography of Slavery in Colonial Massachusetts

Authors

Katherine McGann, Salem State University, Salem, MassachusettsFollow

Abstract

This paper explores the treatment of slavery in New England by different historians throughout the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Slavery in the U.S. is most often associated with the American South, but slavery also existed and flourished in New England. The study of how slavery developed in New England is an integral part of American history, as it is significant to see how slavery could have existed in a place known for its liberal ideals and democratic heroism and how that affected the development of American society. It is also important to explore why the story of slavery in New England has often been silenced in historical literature.

Note on the Author

Katherine McGann received her BA in history from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 2020 and her MA in history from Salem State University in 2025. She currently works as a museum assistant at the Manchester-by-the-Sea Museum, engaging the local community and tourists with the town's rich history. She plans to pursue her PhD in history sometime in the next few years. Katherine researched and wrote this paper for Salem State University's Fall 2024 Graduate course HST 804: Historiography under the mentorship of Dr. Annette Chapman-Adisho

Recommended Citation

McGann, Katherine (2025) Slave Society Upon a Hill: A Historiography of Slavery in Colonial Massachusetts. The Graduate Review, 10.
Available at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/grad_rev/vol10/iss1/5