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State Historic Site Exhibit Tells History Of Slavery In NY

The Amistad is a replica of a 19th century slave ship seized by African captives is a symbol of America's early anti-slavery movement. It is docked in Connecticut.
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The Amistad is a replica of a 19th century slave ship seized by African captives is a symbol of America's early anti-slavery movement. It is docked in Connecticut.

Many people don't realize that slavery was widespread across the Americas, even in what is now the Northeastern U.S.

A new exhibit at a state historic site across the Hudson River from Albany tells the story of the extensive slave trade that existed when New York was a Dutch colony.

The exhibit is titled "A Dishonorable Trade: Human Trafficking in the Dutch Atlantic World" and it's on display at the Crailo State Historic Site in Rensselaer.  Regular tours begin May 11th.

The exhibit, open by appointment during the winter,  traces the history of slavery in New York from when the first Africans were brought to Manhattan in the 17th century to July 4, 1827, when the last of the remaining slaves in New York state were set free. Many of the slaves brought upstate were owned by the wealthy Dutch families who had vast land holdings in the Albany area.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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