Join Essex Historical Society for a special Juneteenth edition of our History Hour series at Essex Meadows. June’s program highlights a powerful local connection to the struggle for freedom through the life of Sarah Margu, one of the four children held captive on the schooner La Amistad.
Portrait of Margu by William Townsend.
In 1839, nine-year-old Margu was kidnapped from her home in West Africa, marched 80 miles to the coast, and trafficked to Cuba. Her life took a historic turn when she and 52 other captives led a rebellion aboard the Amistad, eventually leading to a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1841 that declared them free individuals rather than "cargo."
While many know the legal battle of the Amistad, Margu’s personal journey offers a unique perspective on the Black experience in 19th-century Connecticut. Following the trial, Margu lived in Farmington, CT, where she was supported and educated by abolitionists. Her resilience eventually led her to become the first African to graduate from college in the United States, earning her degree from Oberlin College.
Please Note: Seating in Hamilton Hall is available on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend arriving by 9:50 AM. No pre-registration is required. For more information, visit essexhistory.org or follow us on social media.
About the Speaker: Tammy Denease
Tammy Denease, an accomplished storyteller, actor, and playwright who specializes in bringing "hidden" women of history to life. Born in Columbus, Mississippi, Tammy was raised in a tradition of oral history, learning the art of storytelling from her grandmother and her great-grandmother, a former enslaved woman who lived to be 125 years old.
Tammy is the Executive Artistic Director of the Hidden Women Stage Company and a museum educator who has spent over twenty years instructing audiences on colonial history, slavery, and diversity. Through her meticulous research and living-history performances, she provides a first-person look at the historic figures often overlooked in traditional narratives.