african americans in search of freedom van cortlandt manor

VAN CORTLANDT MANORVan Cortlandt Manor is located on the Croton River in Westchester County, notfar from where it empties into the Hudson. The house has been restored to the way itis thought to have looked when it was owned and lived in by Pierre Van Cortlandt(1749-1814). The interpretation of the historic site focuses on what life on the Manorwas like—for family members, servants and enslaved Africans, tenants and hiredhands—in the new nation after the American Revolution. The manor house contains afine collection of furnishings in the Georgian and Federal style. The kitchen on theground floor has an original hearth and many authentic cooking utensils. The ferryhouse, occupied by a tenant who operated a ferry across the Croton River, has beenrestored as the tavern and inn it once was. It contains examples of furniture typical ofthe Hudson River area. Next to the ferry house is a reconstructed tenant farm housewhere workshops and demonstrations often take place.PIERRE VAN CORTLANDT AT CROTONBorn into a prominent and wealthy family of Dutch ancestry, Pierre VanCortlandt had grown up in New York City. But soon after he and his wife Joannahad their first son, Philip, he decided to live in Westchester on land inherited fromhis father. There was a small stone house on the property in Croton, built into thehillside in the early Dutch style. Pierre expanded the house to three stories andadded two huge brick chimneys as well as a porch on three sides of the main floor.Although it was transformed into a gracious home, large enough to accommodatePierre’s growing family—there were eight children eventually—Van CortlandtManor still retained its farmhouse character.4VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY

Pierre made money by growing crops and raising animals to sell in New YorkCity, by leasing land to tenant farmers, and by operating flour mills and saw millson the Croton River, and in Peekskill. The estate included a ferry house whichPierre rented out, at one point to a woman who ran a tavern in it and operated theferry. As was common in New York State at the time, the family used enslavedAfricans as labor: women worked in the house, the dairy and the gardens, while themen tended the animals and the fields, operated the mills and often assisted in thefamily businesses.The Van Cortlandts supported the Patriot cause in the AmericanRevolution, although some of their relatives did not. Pierre was active politicallyand served as lieutenant governor for the newly organized State of New York; hisoldest son Philip served as a brigadier general in the Continental Army. Duringthe war, Westchester County was an area in which both British and Americanraiding parties were active. Since Van Cortlandt Manor was not a safe place thefamily moved north. The house, emptied of most of its furnishings and left to thecare of a few servants, was ransacked.After the war the Manor house was repaired by Philip Van Cortlandt whothen lived there with his widowed sister Catherine Van Wyck and her three sons.Pierre and Joanna lived in Peekskill at this time. Pierre however did stay the nightat the Manor with Philip in November of 1783 on the way to New York City,where he rode “triumphant into the City with the Commander in Chief [GeorgeWashington]” after the British had evacuated.In 1803 Pierre and Joanna returned to Croton where Pierre devoted himselfto managing the family estates and business ventures. Having converted toMethodism, the Van Cortlandts built a chapel in Croton, hosted visiting ministers,and allowed camp meetings to be held on their property. Joanna died in 1808, andPierre died six years later at the age of 93. His children, who inherited his propertyboth real and personal, freed his slaves, except for one who was too old.This description of Pierre Van Cortlandt appeared in the obituary prepared byhis sons. He was “a patriot of the first order zealous for the Liberties of hisCountry…a friend to the Poor…a kind and good neighbour, an affectionate fondand indulgent Parent, an honest man and a good Christian.”VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY5

1. Entrance Gate2. Manor House3. Outbuldings4. Long Walk & Flower Gardens5. Vegetable Gardens6. Orchards7. Office8. Visitor Center9. Tenant House & Ferry House10. Admissions & Gift Shop6

TIME LINE1492 — — Christopher Columbus “discovers” America.1609 — — Henry Hudson explores the river named after him.1624 — — The Dutch establish the colony of New Netherlandswith a settlement at the tip of Manhattan Island,which they call New Amsterdam.1664 — — English forces capture New Amsterdam and renameit New York.1680-90 — Stephanus Van Cortlandt receives a land grant inWestchester and builds the Manor house in Croton.1749 — — Pierre Van Cortlandt moves with his family toCroton.1765 — — The Stamp Act is passed. It is the first of a series ofEnglish laws that anger the colonists.1776 — — The American Revolution officially begins with theDeclaration of Independence. The Van Cortlandtsleave the Manor because the area is dangerous.1783 — — The Revolutionary War ends. Philip Van Cortlandtrepairs the Manor and lives there with his widowedsister and her children.1789 — — The Constitution is adopted and a new government isformed. George Washington becomes president.1803 — — Pierre and Joanna Van Cortlandt return to the Manorto live out their lives.1808 — — Joanna Van Cortlandt dies.1814 — — Pierre Van Cortlandt dies. His enslaved workers arefreedaccording to his will.7VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY

TIME LINE EXERCISEAnswer these questions:1. Why do you think there are quotation marks around the word “discovers” in thefirst entry?2. How long did the Dutch occupy New Amsterdam?3. How many years passed between the time that Stephanus Van Cortlandtacquired land in Westchester and Pierre moved to Croton?4. What event signaled the beginning of the American Revolution?5. How long did the American Revolution last?6. When did the United States adopt the form of government we have today?7. When did George Washington become president?8. In what year did Joanna Van Cortlandt die?9. How many years later did her husband die?10. When and how were Pierre Van Cortlandt’s enslaved workers freed?11. Does the time line tell you when the Boston Tea Party happened?12. Why are time lines useful?TO DO:Construct a time line for your life,listing dates that you think are important.Include the date of the World Trade Center attack.VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY8

PERIOD MAP OF THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY9VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY

1. What is the date of the map?2. Who is the creator of the map?MAP ANALYSIS WORKSHEET3. On the map, make an ‘X’ on the spot where Van Cortlandt Manor is located.(Hint: it is on the Croton River not far from where it empties into the Hudson.)4. Measure the distance from the tip of Manhattan Island to Van Cortlandt Manor.Use the scale shown on the map.5. Of the place names on the map, which are spelled differently today? Use a currentatlas as a reference. Make a list showing the two spellings.Old spellingToday’s spelling1. 1.2. 2.3, 3,4, 4.5. 5.6. 6.6. The ending “kill” is often used in place names, as in the Catskill Mountains. Itis from a Dutch word meaning creek or stream. Locate and list three names on themap that have this ending.1.2.3.5. Philipsburg Manor is a historic site located in Sleepy Hollow, New York. Itsmain feature is a mill. Locate this site on the map and find the distance between itand Van Cortlandt Manor. The owner of Philipsburg Manor remained loyal to theBritish and his land was taken from him (confiscated) by the Patriots.VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY10

TeacherINTRODUCTORY EXERCISETEACHER-LED PRE-VISIT DISCUSSIONPART I: HOW WILL PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE LEARN ABOUT THE PRESENT?(Adjust questions and examples to student abilities, grade levels and experiences.)Pose these questions to your students. How will people 100 years fromnow be able to learn about you? What might exist that would provide some cluesto what you looked like, what you thought and felt, where you lived, what youmade of your life? Obviously someone from the future will not be able to meetyou or talk to you directly, unless time travel becomes a reality. Ask students tothink of each clue, whatever it might be, as a piece of a puzzle. If there areenough of them, and they are put together properly, they would form at least apartial picture of what you and your life were like.Explore with students the various ways they and their lives are or might bedocumented and how this may vary with who they become. For example, a presidentof the United States will have written a book, have a presidential library andbe caught on film many times. An ordinary person might not leave so much “evidence”behind. Yet all of us and our families leave some trace.Encourage each student to volunteer an example of a clue. Write them onthe board. Some examples follow:• class photograph• a letter you wrote• Gameboy• Pokemon cards• birth certificate• report card• social security card• a Menorah• Metallica CD• basketball trophy• directions for using a microwave• Diet Pepsi can• driver’s license• your teddy bear• your First Communion dress• picture of your house• baby rattle• video of a play you were in• laptop computer• flip-flop• strand of your hair• your grandma’s carved table11VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY

TeacherHOW WILL PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE LEARN ABOUT THE PRESENT?With the class discuss a few of the clues you have listed on the board, using these questions:• What does the item say about the person to whom it belonged?• Is it likely to be saved?• What does it say about the person who saved it?• What does it say about life during this period?• Is it likely to survive for a 100 years even if it is saved?• How can future generations be sure they’re interpreting the item correctly?• How can they be sure they’re putting the puzzle pieces together properly?Assign students in pairs the task of deciding what to place in a time capsule that will beburied and opened 100 years from now. This would make a nice post-visit activity. Youmay use the worksheet included in the packet or have students prepare orally. Younger studentsmight draw items.PART 2PRE/POST-VISIT EXERCISEHOW WE LEARN ABOUT THE PAST AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED LONG AGOAfter students have completed the time-capsule exercise, pose this question: how dowe (and historians) find out about people like the Van Cortlandts who lived in the 1700s and1800s?There were no cameras, and only a few official or business records. Quite a few lettershave been left by people who could read and write (but not all could). And there aresome diaries and journals. There is also physical evidence—Van Cortlandt Manor itself,tools, clothing, furniture, books, portraits, toys.Obviously for uneducated people, with little money, and for enslaved workers, thereare few records and hardly any information about their lives, what they thought and how theyfelt. It therefore is very difficult to learn anything more than the bare facts of their existence.Ask students to note five “clues” that they encounter on their visit to the Manor thathelp them to understand the life and times of the Van Cortlandts and the people who livedand worked there. Have them explain what information each provides. Use the worksheetprovided. Compare student choices and discuss after the visit according to the guidelines listedearlier. This can also be done orally.VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY12

StudentAGIFT TO THE NEXT GENERATION—A WAY TO TALK TO THE FUTUREAssume you and a classmate are in charge of preparing a time capsule thatwill help future generations understand the life of people in the early twenty-firstcentury. Which five items would you include? Give reasons for your choices. Beprepared to share them with the class.1.2.3.4.5.Student’s name ——————— Student’s name ————————13VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY

Student— AFRICAN AMERICANS IN SEARCH OF FREEDOM —PRE-VISIT EXERCISE—SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES IN 1790The Constitution of the United States, which took effect in 1789, called for a census tobe taken every 10 years, beginning in 1790. The results of that tally appear above.According to the data…1. How many slaves were there in the United States in that year?2. Which states had no slaves?3. Which state had the most slaves?4. Which Northern state (New England and Mid Atlantic regions) had the mostslaves? What percent of its population was enslaved? (Clue: divide the number ofslaves by the total population.)5. What percent of the population of the United States in 1790 was enslaved?14VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY

— AFRICAN AMERICANS IN SEARCH OF FREEDOM —HOW WERE THE ENSLAVED WORKERS TREATED BY THE VAN CORTLANDTS?PRE/POST-VISIT EXERCISE BASED ON PRIMARY SOURCESTeacherDivide students into groups of three. Have them read the excerpts fromletters and documents which appear on the following pages and decide as agroup whether the slave or slaves referred to in them were well treated or not.Select a student from each group to report to the class. Ask students to defendtheir positions.A lively discussion will certainly result from consideration of the questionson the final page.VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY15

Student— AFRICAN AMERICANS IN SEARCH OF FREEDOM —HOW WERE THE ENSLAVED WORKERS TREATED BY THE VAN CORTLANDTS?PRE/POST-VISIT EXERCISE BASED ON PRIMARY SOURCESFollowing are excerpts from Van Cortlandt letters or bills. Read each oneand then, in groups of three, come to a decision as to whether the enslaved workersreferred to were well treated or not.1. Pierre Van Cortlandt wrote to his son Philip in 1789:Should you go to town soon you Can tell Mr Watts that he Canhave Ismael the price is 80ƒ . . . I am determined to dispose of himp[e]r first oppertunity Your Mother tells me She Cannot have thetroble and anxiety another year with the blacks, I Know that She isthe Slave to Slaves and all that is Raised here Is Only to supportthem . . . .Ismael, or Ishmael, was an enslaved worker. According to the 1790 census, PierreVan Cortlandt owned eight slaves, and Philip owned four. The price Pierre suggestsabove is in British pounds—the meaning of the symbol “ƒ”—which were still in usein the United States at this time. Pierre never did sell Ishmael.The group’s opinion—2. Pierre Van Cortlandt to his son PhilipSunday Evening 27-Feb 1791Dr Son Philip. . . Little Stephen has been enoculated[.] the Small are all outhas his Share Is gitting better took a Ride out this Morning and is Liketo do Verry well The Wench Betty & her three Children are alsoEnoculated here are not as yet Sick But Expect to morrow Next day. . . .Vaccinations against smallpox were available in 1791. The person being inoculatedgenerally developed a mild case of the disease. The “Wench Betty & her threeChildren” were enslaved workers. Look up the word “wench.” Is it offensive?16VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY

HOW WERE THE ENSLAVED WORKERS TREATED BY THE VAN CORTLANDTS?The group’s opinion—3. In 1799, Pierre Van Cortlandt wrote to James Mandivile about Ishmael.“Frolicking times” took place around holidays or after the crops were harvested.At these times, parties or “frolics” were held at which people enjoyed feasting,dancing and musical entertainment.The group’s opinion—VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY17

HOW WERE THE ENSLAVED WORKERS TREATED BY THE VAN CORTLANDTS?4. Pierre Van Cortlandt to his grandson TheodorusJuly 4, 1801Dear Theodorus,Your Grand Mother Sends you a piece of (I Suppose it is LightTopsail duck) Linnen as a pattiren to git her a piece of it About 25 or30 yards; as it is much wanted for Trousers for the Negroes andworkmen here. Please to send it up with Capn: Conklyn this Trip.The group’s opinion—5. A bill from Jacob Lent, the local schoolmaster, to Pierre Van CortlandtOctober 7, 1803Governor Van Cortlandt . . .To schooling for Black Abbeyfrom May last to October ƒ 1-1-0Cr [Credit] by Cash 0-12-0Remains due ƒ 0-9-0“Abby” was an enslaved worker, the daughter of Ishmael. She was often referred toas “Black Abbey.” The fees are in British pounds, shillings, and pence, not dollars.The group’s opinion—6. An excerpt from a bill sent for services rendered in 1803 by DoctorNathaniel Drake to Governor [Pierre] Van Cortlandt.Cortlandt Town Jan 15th 1804August 16 . . . Vial Drops for Sibbƒ0.2.6November 7 . . . Extracting tooth for Salƒ0.2.0Sibb, or Sibbey, was Ishmael’s wife. A vial is a glass container. Sal was also anenslaved worker.18VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY

HOW WERE THE ENSLAVED WORKERS TREATED BY THE VAN CORTLANDTS?The group’s opinion—7. Pierre Van Cortlandt Jr. to his fatherDear FatherAlbany March 9—1814. . . I am sorry to learn by a Letter from my Brother that poorAbby is so ill; I send a receipt for her which may help her—I shall bereally distressed is she does not recover. . . . Let Abby know howuneasy I am about her—I shall be down with the first Steam Boat. . . .A “receipt” is a recipe; in this case it was probably for some sort of home remedy,like cough medicine.The group’s opinion—8. Excerpt from the legal document signed by the children of Pierre Van Cortlandtafter his death in 1814:To All to whom these presents shall come—Greeting. Know ye thatwe the subscribers do hereby liberate manumit and Set free the followingpersons formerly slaves of Our Deceased Father the latePierre Van Cortlandt Esqr. To Witt Ishmael a Neagro Man and Sibbyhis wife and Abbey their Daughter, Sally a Neagro woman and Phillisa Neagro woman and Jane her Daughter—All of the above slaves were freed except for Phillis, who was over 45 andthought to be to old to take care of herself.The group’s opinion—VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY19

HOW WERE THE ENSLAVED WORKERS TREATED BY THE VAN CORTLANDTS?Why might an owner of enslaved workers• teach at least a few of them to read?• give them small pox inoculations?• see to it that they had food to eat and clothes to wear?In your group, consider the question: Are the above actions evidence of kindnessor of self interest?Why might an owner of enslaved workers• offer a reward for the capture of runaways?• want to sell some of them?• free them?Finally: Is kind treatment enough to make up for being enslaved?VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY20

Student— AFRICAN AMERICANS IN SEARCH OF FREEDOM —ESCAPE AS A FORM OF PROTESTIF YOU WERE AN ENSLAVED WORKER WOULD YOU HAVE RUN AWAY?Being a slave—being “owned” by someone and having your life controlledby that person—was hard to bear. As an enslaved worker you could protest yourcondition by deliberately working slowly, “goofing off.” Or you could do yourjob carelessly. Or even steal food or other things. But then your master mightpunish you or sell you to someone else, someone who might be more demanding,and perhaps cruel. You could be separated from your family.On the other hand, you might try to make the best of your situation byworking hard in the hope that your master would take good care of you and yourfamily, perhaps even free you at his death. Or you might try to acquire a skilland hire yourself out in your spare time to make money. If your master wasagreeable, you could use this money to purchase your freedom. However, thelife of a freed slave was not easy. You were on your own and always in dangerof being seized as a runaway.You could try to escape. List two difficulties you might encounter if youdid this. The illustration below provides some clues.1.2.VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY21

ESCAPE AS A FORM OF PROTESTAfter the Revolution began, as an enslaved worker in the American coloniesyou might be lured by the prospect of freedom offered by the British. The Britishhoped to damage the American war effort by encouraging members of theenslaved American labor force to defect—to cross over to British-held territory.In this area that meant New York City, which was in British hands during most ofthe Revolutionary War.As an enslaved worker…1. Would you have considered running away from your master and enteringBritish-controlled territory? List some of the pros and cons of this courseof action.2. Would you have supported the Patriot cause? Some owners were will-to free their slaves if they would fight against the British. Do you think itstrange that the American colonists argued that the British were treatingthem like slaves when they themselves enslaved people?ing3. Would you have fought for the British against the Americans?It is hard to identify the reasons for the actions that enslaved workers didor did not take as there is so little evidence. We can only make inferences as towhat their thoughts and feelings were. During the Revolution Bridget, anenslaved worker at Van Cortlandt Manor, had made a plan to defect to theBritish. Her plan failed when it was discovered by Pierre’s daughter Cornelia.Bridget’s action puzzled the Van Cortlandts as she had been with the family since1758.22VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY

ESCAPE AS A FORM OF PROTESTRead the document below. Keep in mind that the letter “s” looks like an “f.”1.What is its date?2. Where was it issued?3. Who created it?4. Clearly, the document is a kind of pass. What does it grant the bearer?It is estimated that 14,000 slaves who defected from their American masterswere eventually evacuated by the British, most to Nova Scotia (look up this place ona map). While many were able to start a new life as free persons, some who werepromised their freedom were sent to the Caribbean, where they were re-enslaved.VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY23

StudentPOST-VISIT EXERCISECLUES TO WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE AT VAN CORTLANDT MANORFOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED AND WORKED THEREList or draw five “clues” you saw or heard about on your tour of Van CortlandtManor. Explain what information each provides about life there.1.2.3.4.5.VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY24

BIBLIOGRAPHYBarchers, Suzanne I. and Patricia C. Marden. Cooking Up U. S. History: Recipes andResearch to Share with Children. Chicago: Teachers Ideas Press, 1991.Barrett, Tracy. Growing Up in Colonial America. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press, 1995.Calvert, Karin. Children in the House: The Material Culture of Early Childhood, 1600-1900.Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1992.Carlson, Laurie. Colonial Kids—An Activity Guide to Life in the New World. Chicago:Chicago Review Press, 1997.Egger-Bovet, Howard and Marlene Smith Baranzini. USKids History: Book of the AmericanColonies—Discover your History Through Stories, Games and Activities. Boston: Little,Brown and Company, 1996.Hawes, Joseph M. and N. Ray Hiner, eds. American Childhood: A Research Guide andHistorical Handbook. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1985.Kalman, Bobbie, The Gristmill. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 1990.King, David C. Colonial Days—Discover the Past with Fun Projects, Games, Activities, andRecipes. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1998.Miller, Brandon, Marie. Growing Up in Revolution and the New Nation—1775 to 1800.Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Co., 2003.Newell, William Wells. Games and Songs of American Children. New York: Harper andBrothers, 1903; reprinted by Dover Publications, 1963.Pollock, Linda. A Lasting Relationship: Parents and Children over Three Centuries. Hanover,NH: University Press of New England, 1987.Prescott, Della R. A Day in a Colonial Home. Francistown, NH: Marshall Jones Company,Eighth Printing 1949.Rae, Noel, ed. Witnessing America: The Library of Congress Book of Firsthand Accounts ofLife in America, 1600-1900. New York: The Stonesong Press, 1996.Tunis, Edwin. Colonial Living. New York: World Publishing Company, 1957. Marvelousillustrations by the author.——. Colonial Craftsmen—And the Beginnings of American Industry. New York: WorldPublishing Company, 1965.VAN CORTLANDT MANOR/HISTORIC HUDSON VALLEY25