Diving deep into the archives with a team of citizen archivists, two dynamic local historians have uncovered the previously hidden lives of hundreds of Black families in southwestern New Hampshire. “It’s as though they’ve come out from the shadows,” said one.
Now you, too, can take people out of the shadows by using the groundbreaking methods outlined in this recording.
This workshop was led by Michelle Stahl, executive director of the Monadnock Center for History and Culture, and Jennifer Carroll, director of education at the Historical Society of Cheshire County, both in southern New Hampshire. With a group of volunteer researchers - aka Citizen Archivists - Michelle and Jennifer have pieced together Black history in the region from 1730-1930. Painstakingly examining primary and secondary sources, they've developed a systematic, uniform research method that enables researchers to work simultaneously and assemble this vital informtion in a single central spreadsheet. This system ensures that no sources are overlooked, and that source citations are linked with the information found within a given resource.
How can you uncover the true history of your town? In their workshop, Michelle and Jennifer:
introduce you to the benefits of a clear research system
show you the sources (both online and in person) that will be essential to your research, and
explain how to marshal the power of the many by using volunteer researchers - that is, your own Citizen Archivists.
They also share their successes (and the pitfalls!) of local history research.
Jennifer Carroll has been managing historical societies and museums in New England for over 25 years. She holds a master of arts degree in historical administration from Eastern Illinois University and a bachelor of arts degree in history and women's studies from the University of New Hampshire. Carroll has worked as a curator and executive director of museums, and currently serves as the director of education at the Historical Society of Cheshire County in Keene, New Hampshire, where she coordinates over 150 educational programs per year. She is the 2023 recipient of the Keene State College Outstanding Woman of New Hampshire award, a 2023 NATAS/New England Emmy Award nominee as writer for the short historical film, Jennie B. Powers: The Woman Who Dares, and the Keene Sentinel newspaper’s Extraordinary Women of the Monadnock Region award in 2017. Jennifer lives in West Swanzey, NH, with her husband and two daughters.
Michelle Stahl has worked in New England museums and historical societies since 1995 serving as a cataloger, curator, program director, and administrator. Since 2001, she has been the executive director of the Monadnock Center for History and Culture, a local history museum and archives in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Stahl holds a bachelor’s degree in the history of art from Smith College, where she was an Ada Comstock Scholar. Her research interests include New England history and art, American folk art and the history of women. Michelle lives in Bennington, NH, with her daughter.
The Historical Society of Cheshire County is a contemporary hub for people to make connections between history, art, culture, and the environment. We are located in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire, 246 Main Street, Keene, NH or visit us online at www.hsccnh.org
The Monadnock Center for History and Culture, in Peterborough, New Hampshire, connects people to the culture and history of the Monadnock region of southern New Hampshire. Its programs, concerts and events enrich cultural life and promote thoughtful discussion and connection to the region, as well as stewarding its historic buildings and collections. Find out more at monadnockcenter.org
All presentations convey the views of the presenters and not necessarily those of the Partnership of Historic Bostons.
Image: The search for a true history - digitally. A spreadsheet from the Recovering Black History project. Courtesy of the Historical Society of Cheshire County