Profile of Nancy Michael by HSEF student Kirstin Price

nancy michael was the daughter of rebecca michael and sharper michael. nancy was involvled in many legal battle in her life time. in 1779 she was sold to joseph allen of tisbury. after leaving tisbury she moved to edgartown and was a public pauper.

Profile of Rebecca by HSEF student Emily Guan

Rebecca, Woman From Africa

    Rebecca is the great grandmother of William A. Martin who was the only African American master of whaling ships. Born in Guinea in West Africa she was the property of Cornelius Bassett of Chilmark. She has 2 sons Pero and Cato and a daughter Nancy. At the time of Cornelius Bassett's death Nancy was 7 and Pero was 18. Both son and daughter were sold to Joseph Allen of Tisbury. Rebecca may have been granted her freedom. She was once married to Elisha Amus an "Indian man". Upon his death he left Rebecca his livestock and his house. She died in 1801, 38 years after her husband.

Status update for Rebecca Martin by HSEF student Melanie Castillo

In 1820, I, Rebecca Martin have been imprisoned at the age of nine, charged with theft, nonpayment, and assault. It's not the first time, but around here it's the norm. 

A MV profile by HSEF student Aska Gurung

The passage is about how the black slave who escaped the plantation that he had been working in for 12 years. While on the run two girl helped him hide in the swamp so that the sherrif won't catch him. Later the sherrif found out that he was in the swamp aand he went to.go catch him. But by the time he got there, he was distracted by nature and its beauty. Therefore the fugitive black man ran away. Ranaway to his freedom.

Profile of Captain William A. Martin by HSEF student Nilsa Rodriguez

Captain William A. Martin was the great grand child of a woman from Africa who was enslaved on Martha's Vineyard. He was the only African-American Whaling captain from Martha's Vineyard. He was born in Edgartown in 1830. His mother's name was Rebecca. During his life he lived with both his grandmother, Nancy and Rebeca. When he became older he married a Native American woman named Sarah Brown. Sarah Brown was from Chappaquiddick Plantation. William and Sarah decided to live in Chappaquiddick Plantation.

Profile of Rebecca by HSEF student Isabella Rosedietcher

My name's Rebecca, or as my friends and family call me Beck, and I'm from Guinea, West Africa. I live with my master Cornelius Bassett. I was with my husband, a Wampanog Elisha Amos, and my kids Pero, Cato and Nancy (to whom Elisha was not the father) throughout my life, although they were all taken from me. My tale isn't all that sad though, for my husband left land, to which I escaped my dreaded master to.

Profile of Randall Burton by HSEF student Krystal Glenn.

Randall Burton was a fugitive from enslavement who was charged with larceny according to the article published on September 29,1854 in the Vineyard Gazette. The charge was related to the robbery of a certain boat in which Burton tries to make his escape with. Ultimately he escaped from the ship in Holmes Hole which was in Tusbury in the year 1854. He was supposedly rescued by two woman who took him to a swamp in Gay Head where he remained for several days. It's been said that Deputy Sheriff Lambart of Chilmark tried to arrest Burton under the provisions of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 but once he entered the swamp area he became distracted by his surroundings and was unable to make the arrest. Randall eventually escaped from Menemsha to New Bedford and later headed to Canada, and finally experienced absolute freedom.

Profile of Rebecca Martin by HSEF student Samantha Yew

Rebecca Martin (1809-1854) was the daughter of Nancy Michael, mother of Captain William A. Martain. Rebecca was imprisoned in the dukes county jail on two occasions which was theft and nonpayment of debt which was her mother. Even though Rebecca was imprisoned for short occasions, she spent several months incarcerated because of payment issues.

Profile of Rebecca Michael by HSEF Student Nina Huang

Post by Nina Huang

Rebecca Michael (Rebecca Francis) was the daughter of Nancy Michael and the mother of William A. Martin. Throughout Rebecca childhood life, she has always held imprisoned for a short amount of periods in "The House of Corrections for petty crimes" because she was unable to make her payments. This was normal for all young colored child. For example, William H. Charles, a boy of nine or ten was committed for assault and battery on the body of Susan O. Sylvia, a girl whose around the same age as him. William H. Charles was sentenced for two days.

In 1830, Rebecca gave birth to a son William A. Martin. She had uses the last name "Martin" because she wasn't sure who was the father of this boy. On William A. Martin marriage certificate, he only gave one parent name, which was Rebecca Michael (he was married to Sarah) Later on, Rebecca had marry a guy name John Francis. His name also appear in record of the Dukes County House of Corrections (Martha Vineyard Museum). He was committed to jail for assault and battery on Tristan Swain, but was discharged the same day. He had also committed to jail for "safe keeping". Safe keeping was a common strategy to prevent sailor from jumping ships.

A guy name Jeremiah Pease who was involved in the community of Martha Vineyard. He keeps dairies that recorded the daily events of life on the island. In his diaries, he had wrote down the death of Rebecca in the year 1854, on Octuber 29. During that time, her son William A. Martin was sailing as a first mate and keeper of the log on the whaling vessel the Europa.