Researcher
The Bristol County Enslaved History Project began in part as a quest for information on one individual and has since grown exponentially. While working under various organziations - both academic and institutional - independent scholar and community historian Courtney Garrity became invested in locating and identifying those enslaved in Bristol, Rhode Island and addressing the often unspoken history of enslavement in a town heralded for its celebrations of freedom.
A scholar of history with a focus on enslavement and emancipation in Early New England, Courtney has completed her Bachelor of Arts in History at Roger Williams University, during which time she spent two semesters working with the Rhode Island Slave History Medallion project and a year interning with the Bristol Historical and Preservation Society. She has also interned with the Rhode Island Historical Society on several instances. Courtney has recently graduated with a Master of Arts in History from Providence College where she wrote her Master's Thesis titled Expected to “goe on Chearfully Quiettly and Industerously”: Enslavement & Unfreedom in Bristol, Rhode Island, 1680-1808 under Dr. Edward E. Andrews. She is currently in the process of expanding her research and writing an article for peer-review publication.
Research Partners & Support
The Bristol County Enslaved History Project would not be possible without the support of the following individuals and organizations:
Dr. Catherine W. Zipf
Dr. Charlotte Carrington-Farmer
Eleanor C. Dobson, of www.historicelly.com
History Department, Roger Williams University
Jerrad Pacatte
Lynn Smith
The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities
Header image: The Estate Inventory of Robert Jolls, 1739. Ancestry.com Massachusetts US Wills & Probate Records, 1635-1991. Bristol County, MA. Volume 9 Page 376. Image 516 of 596.