Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History & Culture Enduring Connections: Exploring Delmarva's Black History

Stories

These curated stories about specific people, families, communities, or themes use the records from this database to shine light on Delmarva's Black histories.

If you would like to share a story documenting successful use of the database to discover records or ancestors, please contact us.


The Freedmen's Bureau and the Development of Black Education on the Delmarva Peninsula

September 5, 2023

Summer '23 Smithsonian Institute intern, A'Nya Harrison explored correspondence from the Freedmen’s Bureau records at the National Archives, which detailed the essential groundwork that individuals and communities laid for the development of Black schools on the Delmarva Peninsula.

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The Quinn Family, Race, and Religion on Maryland's Eastern Shore

September 5, 2023

Summer '23 Smithsonian Institute intern, Nandi Smith analyzed the religious trends of Black Americans across the country--and especially on the Delmarva Peninsula--in this story highlighting the Quinn family of Pocomoke City, Maryland in the 19th century.

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The Reverend's Roots: Rev. Charles Albert Tindley

May 25, 2023

Using sources made accessible by the Enduring Connections database, researchers can begin to unpack the complex story behind Reverend Tindley’s childhood and family roots that have been elusive until now.

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Genealogy Journey: Johnny Sample

December 2, 2022

Historical records can provide powerful and robust stories about African Americans' resilience and grit throughout the history of this country. By diving into the family history of a local sports hero like John B. Sample Jr., Summer 2022 Smithsonian Institute intern Asia Bender hopes that people will be empowered and inspired to research their own family history—just like she did during my summer on Delmarva.

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The Freedmen's Bureau and Illegal Apprenticeships on Maryland's Eastern Shore

October 17, 2022

In the years after Emancipation, many Black families in the Delmarva region had their children taken away from them and bound into apprenticeships. The story of Martha Brown, a Caroline County woman, personifies what it took to recover your children with help from the Freedmen's Bureau.

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American Colonization of Liberia

June 22, 2022

The Republic of Liberia in Africa was a colony formed by the United States to relocate freeborn and emancipated Black people as an end to slavery. Former Enduring Connections fellow, Rihana Stevenson, writes about this piece of Delmarva history and the records that support it in this story.

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Samuel Miles: Along the Underground

June 15, 2022

In the summer of 1855, Samuel Miles fled from slavery in Somerset County, Maryland. Using sources in the Enduring Connections database, we can discover more about Miles and other Delmarva families who traveled the Underground Railroad.

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Walking Tour of Salisbury's Black History: Georgetown and Beyond

March 11, 2022

Created by Salisbury University graduate history student, Allison Stancil, in her fall 2021 digital humanities internship, this tour has made it easier than ever to trace the footsteps of the past with a walking tour highlighting Salisbury’s Black history.

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Rev. Charles Pullett

July 16, 2021

Many members of Pollitt/Pullett family of Somerset and Wicomico Counties in Maryland made their mark in the region's Black history. Sources from the 19th century help illuminate the lives and legacy of people like Reverend Charles Pullett.

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