Group envisions black history trail in New Hampshire

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire house that inspired Harriet Wilson, the country's first female African-American novelist and author of "Our Nig" in 1859, still stands on the edge of Milford.

The trail would recognize the leading African-Americans who have called the mostly white state home, including preacher Thomas Paul from Exeter who formed the African Meeting House in Boston and Wentworth Cheswell from Newmarket who is believed to be the first African-American elected to public office.

Organizers said it would also go a long ways to correcting a historical record in New Hampshire that often glossed over African-American achievements — minimizing them, for example, in town records or histories — and downplaying the state's role in slavery.

Escaped slaves passed through the Underground Railroad in places like Lee or settled in the state, where they worked on farms and built houses and were teachers, preachers, politicians and businessmen.

The push for a trail comes at a time when African-American history is getting more attention with the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., planned for Sept. 24.

Valerie Cunningham, who founded the city's black heritage trail and is helping develop the statewide trail, said she hopes the larger trail has the same impact as the one in Portsmouth — drawing tourists from around the country and attracting educators looking to go beyond the traditional textbooks in their exploration of history.