Wrestling with Justice: Quakers and Northern Slavery at Stenton

A new interpretive plan contextualizes the history of slavery at the historic house museum Stenton through exhibitions, tours, and programs. Illuminating the largely invisible labor force of enslaved and indentured people who lived and worked on the property in the 18th and 19th centuries, the research-based project challenges prevailing views of the time period by examining slavery in the North and Quakers who owned slaves. The project includes new exhibitions in Stenton’s garrets, where enslaved and indentured workers lived, as well as updates to the artifacts, primary sources, and other interventions at the site. New tours and other programs (at Stenton and other local historical sites) further communicate these histories to make the history of enslavement visible throughout the house and landscape. 

The total grant amount represents project funding plus an additional 20% in unrestricted general operating support.