James DeWolf Perry, VI, a descendent of the largest slave trading family in the United States provided a screening and discussion of Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North on January 22 at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.
In commemoration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and as part of Saint Anselm College’s 2009 Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration, Perry was invited to discuss his family’s retracing of the Triangle Trade, and to uncover the stunning realities of slavery in New England.
In the featured documentary, filmmaker Katrina Browne, joined by nine other family members who trace their lineage to the Perry family of Bristol, Rhode Island discover that their New England ancestors were the largest slave-trading family in United States History.
“This film is intended to raise questions, not answer them,” Perry noted prior to the screening of the abridged version of the film, the full version of which has run nationally on the PBS network. Following the screening, Perry noted that not even the ten family members, many of whom were distant relatives and had not previously met, had difficultly reconciling their varied points of view.
The DeWolf family, known as “the great folks” in Bristol left a wealth of historical documentation, items which became a centerpiece as the descendents examined their family ties on the week of July 4, 2001. As family members arrived from across the country, one of their first stops was at the Bristol Historical Society.
Donning white protective gloves, the family is documented looking through historical registers and sales receipts, while shackles and bound rope used to detain the DeWolf slave captives lingers in the background.
Perry detailed the ensuing three-week journey, which brought the family to the Cape Coast of Ghana, and to the plantation fields of Cuba, each stop symbolizing a point on the trade route connecting with Bristol.
Upon returning to Rhode Island, members of the family spent a few days unpacking the experience. Since, many family members have become actively engaged in speaking tours, pushing for legislation, and furthering the scholarly understanding of slavery in the North.
“What I came to learn,” Perry noted following the screening, “was the range of white experiences on race.” He noted that the dichotomy found amongst the ten family members epitomizes the realities found across America, where the assembled family members came from various socio-economic backgrounds and with a wide range of exposure to integration.
“[This film] is not about placing collective blame, but that’s not to say we don’t have collective responsibility,” Perry concluded.
To view PBS’ resources devoted to this film:
http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/tracesofthetrade/