Historic Hudson Valley has been committed to telling the story of slavery in the colonial North for more than two decades. We do this at our Philipsburg Manor site and through a dynamic range of programs and digital initiatives that are responsive to the needs of educators, students, and the public.

HHV uses primary documents from the Philipse and Van Cortlandt families as well as scholarly research to illuminate the lives of the enslaved Africans who lived and worked in the Northern states; to grapple with the inhumanity of their plight; and to make their skilled contributions to the American economy and national culture abundantly evident to our visitors.

People Not Property: Stories of Slavery in the Colonial North

Explore Historic Hudson Valley’s groundbreaking interactive documentary revealing the history of Northern slavery through the stories of the enslaved individuals at Philipsburg Manor and beyond.

Programs for Schools and Teachers

Runaway Art

Runaway Art

An integrated art and social studies curriculum exploring the lives of enslaved individuals who were advertised as missing property in colonial newspapers.

Teachers Institute

NEH Teacher’s Institute

A National Endowment for the Humanities institute for K-12 teachers. Participants in the institute explore both the institutional and personal sides of enslavement.