Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman

05/07/2019

Dr. David Levinson will give a talk on Mumbet's suit for freedom on May 11; see details below

02/26/2015

Small but enthusiastic was the seminar at Bard College/Simon's Rock (Great Barrington, MA) conducted by David for students & faculty on the role of Mumbet (Elizabeth Freeman; subject of David's & Emilie Piper's book) in the ending of slavery in MA. Many thoughtful Qs.

02/18/2015

Dr. David Levinson, coauthor with Emilie Piper of "One Minute a Free Woman," will be holding a seminar for students on slavery to freedom & Mumbet's role at Bard College at Simon's Rock, Great Barrington, MA, Friday, February 25 at 7:00 p.m.

11/09/2014

10/20/2014

Look for a new event in August 2015 to celebrate Mumbet Day. This year's drew a huge crowd:

08/20/2012

To help commemorate ***Elizabeth (Mumbet) Freeman Day*** on August 21, we are offering two Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area books at a discount:

One Minute a Free Woman: Elizabeth Freeman and the Struggle for Freedom
list price $24.50, special discount price to Sept. 1. $12.00

On the Other Side of Glory: The Berkshire Men of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment
list price $19.50; special discount price to Sept. 1. $10.00.

Send order to:

David Levinson
463B Heritage Village
Southbury, CT 06488
[email protected]

08/08/2012

If you're in the area: Mumbet Day: Celebrating the Life of Elizabeth Freeman. Annual Celebration, free. Tuesday, August 21, 4-7 p.m., Ashley House, Sheffield, MA. Sponsored by The Trustees of Reservations:
413-298-3239, x 3013.

07/09/2012

Very impressive! From the Upper Housatonic African American Heritage Trail website: "Congratulations! NASHVILLE, TN—June 2012—The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) proudly announces that The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) are the recipients of an Award of Merit from the AASLH Leadership in History Awards for the project Elizabeth Freeman: A Story of Courage. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards, now in its 67th year, is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.

The Trustees’ project, Elizabeth Freeman: A Story of Courage, was funded by the Upper Housatonic African American Heritage Trail and was a community collaboration between Trustees staff, volunteers, scholars, historians, and local residents to raise public awareness about the life of Elizabeth “Mumbett” Freeman. Freeman and other African Americans were enslaved at the Ashley House, now cared for by The Trustees, in the late 18th Century. Freeman, with help from lawyer Theodore Sedgewick and an enslaved man named Brom, used the legal system and the new Massachusetts constitution to sue for her freedom on the basis that “all men are created equal.” In 1781 the courts decided in her favor, dealing a blow that helped to end the institution of slavery in Massachusetts." See http://www.thetrustees.org/what-we-care-about/history-culture/elizabeth-freeman-fighting-for-freedom.html

The Trustees of Reservations, a member-supported, nonprofit, conservation organization that preserves, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts. We love the outdoors. We love the distinctive charms of New England. We believe in c...

04/12/2012

Our authors David Levinson and Emilie Piper's book on Mumbet was consulted--as was David--for Louis Henry Gates's PBS program "Finding Your Roots" concerning the actor Kyra Sedgwick's connection with Katharine Sedgwick and Mumbet. We're happy to see that the show brought to viewers' attention that slavery was practiced in the North and not just confined to the South, as well as to Mumbet's role in ending slavery in Massachusetts. Onward, Elizabeth Freeman and her legacy! You can watch this episode here: http://video.pbs.org/video/2220828439/

The ancestral pasts of married Hollywood actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick.

02/18/2012

WELCOME to those of you who've recently discovered our Mumbet site, and thanks to all of you who have remained "fans," for want of a better term!

02/18/2012

Our author, Dr. David Levinson, will be speaking about Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman again this month--tomorrow in fact (Saturday, Feb. 18)--in Salisbury, CT, at 4 p.m. at the town's library. His topic will be her struggle for freedom. If you're in the neighborhood, do drop by for a fascinating talk, with a Q and A session afterward. "One Minute a Free Woman" will be available for purchase (or you may order it online; see the link in the column at left).

02/18/2012

February is BLACK HISTORY MONTH, and President Obama has written a proclamation celebrating it. You can find it here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/31/presidential-proclamation-national-african-american-history-month-2012
Also, the Smithsonian has events all monthlong: http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/heritage_month/bhm/index.html

In honor of our nation's rich and diverse cultural heritage, the Smithsonian Institution celebrates Heritage with hundreds of films, performances, exhibitions, family programs, and other programs.