VIRTUAL Stories of Slavery in New Jersey

Did you know that New Jersey, in 1866, was the last northern state to abolish slavery?

Dutch and English settlers brought the first enslaved people to New Jersey in the seventeenth century. By the time of the Revolutionary War, slavery was an established practice on labor-intensive farms throughout what became known as the Garden State. The progenitor of the influential Morris family, Lewis Morris, brought Barbadian slaves to toil on his estate of Tinton Manor in Monmouth County.  “Colonel Tye,” an escaped slave from Shrewsbury, joined the British “Ethiopian Regiment” during the Revolutionary War and led raids throughout the towns near his former home. Charles Reeves and Hannah Van Clief married soon after their emancipation in 1850 and became prominent citizens of Lincroft, as did their next four generations.

In this virtual program, author Richard Geffken presents stories and images of the 200 year history of African enslavement in New Jersey based on his book Stories of Slavery in New Jersey.

Rick has authored numerous articles on various aspects of New Jersey history for local newspapers, magazines, historical societies, and newsletters. He has presented historical papers at the New Jersey History & Historic Preservation in 2014 and 2015. Rick has participated in symposia for groups such as the Navesink Maritime Historical Association, and has appeared on the New Jersey Cable TV show and Family Historian. He has spoken about New Jersey historical topics at dozens of historical societies and libraries.

Rick’s other books include The Story of Shrewsbury Revisited, 1965-2015; Lost Amusement Parks of the North Jersey Shore and Hidden History of Monmouth County.

This event is made possible with the support of The Friends of the Livingston Public Library.