Just History

About the Just History Project:

The Just History project began in 2020 with a small group of interested citizens, with the goal of documenting how Kennebunk and the surrounding towns were never all-white spaces. The Wabanaki and other surrounding tribal nations lived here for thousands of years before European settlers overtook these spaces without permission or compensation. During the colonial era, enslavement existed here in Southern Maine (and throughout New England). While Northern slavery was not on the scale of that of the American South, it was not uncommon here. After the Revolution, slavery continued until the late 1700s in Massachusetts, which included Maine until 1820. Emancipation was gradual, with many “freed” people continuing as “servants.” Note that many had also been referred to as “servants” when they were enslaved.

The goal in creating this database is to highlight people that lived here who were historically marginalized. They include Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, many of whom we will never know. Hours of volunteer research has uncovered several hundred people whose stories are still fragmentary and uncertain. This Database is a beginning for understanding the diverse history of our region. It includes those people and those who had a documented connection with them, and what is known about their relationships. In the early years, many of them were enslaved or enslavers. Later, they may have been an employee or employer, a tenant or landlord.

This Database will share what we know of their personal stories and provide access to primary source documentation whenever possible. We will be adding to the Database as new information is discovered. This resource includes the database, a search page, and related research articles.