WITNESS TO HISTORY
SLAVERY IN GUILFORD
We seek to uncover the history of slavery in our town,
examine its legacy, and share what we learn.
Exhibit at Guilford Free Library | November 1–30, 2024
Slavery in Guilford
Slavery was legal in Connecticut until 1848, but many residents today are unaware of the extent of this history. Our group has been combing through and deciphering yellowed and tattered handwritten wills and records kept by churches and the town, along with other resources. Our findings were the wellspring of a month-long exhibit in the library’s meeting room.
At the front of the room visitors will be able see the names of more than one hundred women, men, and children who were enslaved in Guilford, along with some basic facts about their lives. At the back of the room there is a detailed timeline that puts slavery into historical perspective, along with extracts from wills and other documents and several more-detailed profiles about the lives of specific people among the enslaved.
Our exhibit is the product of a collaboration between the Guilford Preservation Alliance’s Witness to History: Slavery in Guilford initiative and the Guilford Free Library. It is open to the public and will be on display throughout November.
Guilford Free Library Educational Series
Full event list and recordings of past talks can be found here
Thursday • October 30, 2025 • 7–8 pm (past)
Guilford Free Library • 67 Park Street • Guilford
Abraham Baldwin, Slavery, and the Constitution
With Glenn W. Falk
Born in North Guilford in 1754, Abraham Baldwin studied at Yale for the ministry and served as a chaplain during the Revolutionary War. After moving to Georgia and switching to a legal career, he became a delegate for Georgia at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and played a crucial role there. He founded the University of Georgia and represented Georgia in the House and Senate until his death in 1807.
Join us on October 30 when Glenn Falk will talk about Baldwin’s less well-known role in perpetuating the institution of slavery. Falk is Professor of the Practice in Public Policy and Law at Trinity College in Hartford, where he teaches American legal history and other subjects. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.
Previous events at Guilford Free Library. Recordings can be found here
With Matt Warshauer Ph.D.; April 3, 2025; 7–8 p.m. (past)
With Karyl Evans; Oct. 24, 2024; 6:30-8 p.m. (past)
With Constance L. Royster; March 21, 2024; 7-8 p.m. (past)
With Jeffrey Fletcher; February 22, 2024; 7-8 p.m. (past)
Feb. 23, 2023; 6-8 p.m. (past)
With Tamara Lanier; Jan. 19, 2023; 7-9 p.m. (past)
With Cornelia Bewersdorf; November 17, 2022; 7-8 p.m. (past)
With Dr. Nancy Steenburg; March 24, 2022; 7-8 pm (past)
With Jared Hardesty; January 13, 2022; 7-8 p.m. (past)
With Bennett Parten; November 4, 2021; 7-8 p.m. (past)
With Ken Minkema; October 5, 2021; 7-8 p.m. (past)
With Tamara Lanier; May 20, 2021; 7-8 p.m. (past)
With Professor Robert Forbes; April 21, 2021; 7-8 p.m. (past)
With Superintendent Freeman; March 11, 2021; 7-8 p.m. (past)
With Professor David Blight; Feb 11, 2021; 7-8 p.m. (past)