Breaking Ground, Breaking Silence

By Joyce Hansen

Uncover hidden stories of African slaves through ancient graves in Colonial America.

3.8/5 Goodreads · 39 ratings

130 pages· 21,283 words· Est. 3 hour read

$22.95Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

In 1991, the rediscovery of New York's African Burial Ground unveiled secrets of African slaves' lives in Colonial America. Through the remains of a woman with filed teeth, a soldier in a British uniform, and a mother with her child, archaeologists and anthropologists piece together their stories. These silent witnesses, buried with beads and bones, reveal a rich tapestry of resilience and culture. What truths lie beneath the soil, waiting to be unearthed? Discover the inspiring lives forged in the shadows of history, as science and history intertwine to break the silence of the past.

From the publisher

How can we learn about the lives of African slaves in Colonial America? Often forbidden to read or write, they left few written records. But in 1991 scientists rediscovered New York’s long-ignored African Burial Ground, which opened an exciting new window into the past. A woman with filed teeth buried with a girdle of beads; a black soldier buried with his British Navy uniform, his face pointing east; a mother and child, laid to rest side by side: to scientists, each of these burials has much to tell us about African slaves in America. “Breaking Ground, Breaking Silence “shows how archaeologists and anthropologists have learned to read life stories in shattered bones, tiny beads, and the faint traces left by coffin lids in ancient soil. At the same time, by blending together the insights found buried in the soil and the results of historians’ careful studies, it gives us a moving, inspiring portrait of the lives Africans created in Colonial New York.