Maine Memory Network

White Church, Biddeford, ca. 1894

Contributed by: McArthur Public Library Date: circa 1894 Location: Biddeford Media: Photographic print

Maine Anti-Slavery Society report, 1836

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: 1836-10-27 Location: Portland Media: Ink on paper

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Slavery's Defenders and Foes

Mainers, like residents of other states, had differing views about slavery and abolition in the early to mid decades of the 19th century. Religion and economic factors were among the considerations in determining people's leanings.

Reuben Ruby: Hackman, Activist

Reuben Ruby of Portland operated a hack in the city, using his work to earn a living and to help carry out his activist interests, especially abolition and the Underground Railroad.

Freedom & Captivity Portal

The Freedom & Captivity digital collection in the Maine Memory Network, and the complete digital archive housed at Colby Special Collections, is a repository of personal testimonies, ephemera, memorabilia, artifacts, and visual materials that capture multiple dimensions of the experiences of incarceration for individuals, families, and communities, as well as for survivors of harm.

Maine's Road to Statehood - The American Revolution and Early Attempts at Separation - Page 2 of 2

"The American Revolution and Early Attempts at Separation The committee sent a similar address to the citizens of Maine urging them to support…"

We Are An Ordinary Family
by Catherine

Maine's abolitionists offer an answer to my questions about my family's experiences.

How the first chapter Veterans for Peace was founded in Maine
by Doug Rawlings

Veterans for Peace was founded in Maine and is now an international movement

Primary Sources: Maine Women's Causes and Influence before 1920

Grade Level: 6-8 Content Area: Social Studies
This lesson plan will give students the opportunity to read and analyze letters, literature, and other primary documents and articles of material culture from the MHS collections relating to the women of Maine between the end of the Revolutionary War through the national vote for women’s suffrage in 1920. Students will discuss issues including war relief (Civil War and World War I), suffrage, abolition, and temperance, and how the women of Maine mobilized for or in some cases helped to lead these movements.

Black History and the History of Slavery in Maine

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12, Postsecondary Content Area: Social Studies
This lesson presents an overview of the history of the Black community in Maine and the U.S., including Black people who were enslaved in Maine, Maine’s connections to slavery and the slave trade, a look into the racism and discrimination many Black people in Maine have experienced, and highlights selected histories of Black people, demonstrating the longevity of their experiences and contributions to the community and culture in Maine.