Middle School historians stepped across the street to the Cutchogue New Suffolk Library’s Historical Archives today to conduct some firsthand research. Students were eager to get their hands (literally) on some primary resources like a text copy of Long Island’s 1870 census after researching so much in the classroom and online about their predecessors in Cutchogue.

Middle Schoolers also reviewed outdated collections of books about the Indigenous people of Long Island, taking note of the tone, assumptions and representations that were “of the time.” Together, the class reflected on reasons why such texts might be kept in collections and how they can be used for historical research.

While some students focused on archival research, others spent time learning about the voyages of enslaved people who were brought to the North American mainland. Students used the Slave Voyages database to find out more information about the history of the transatlantic slave trade and reflected on its impact on the development of our early colonial economy. Some students were very surprised to learn that the first ship carrying enslaved people directly from Africa to North America landed and disembarked its captives in New York!

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