Traces of the Trade

[From Ty Creason]

The film, "Traces of the Trade", will be shown at the Cathedral on Wednesday, June 11, at 7:30 pm. In this film, producer/director Katrina Browne tells the story of her forefathers, the largest slave-trading family in US history. Given the myth that the South is solely responsible for slavery, viewers will be surprised to learn that Browne's ancestors were Northerners. This film follows Browne and nine fellow family members on a remarkable journey, made in 2001, that brought them face-to-face with the history and legacy of this hidden enterprise.

Of interest to Rhode Islanders is the fact that from 1769 to 1820, DeWolf fathers, sons, and grandsons trafficked in human beings. They sailed their ships from Bristol, Rhode Island, to West Africa with rum to trade for African men, women, and children. Captives were taken to plantations that the DeWolf's owned in Cuba or were sold at such ports as Havana or Charleston. Sugar and molasses were then brought from Cuba to the family-owned rum distilleries in Bristol,. Over the generations, the family owned 47 ships that transported thousands of Africans across the Middle Passage into slavery. They amassed an enomous fortune. By his death in 1827, James DeWolf had been a US senator and was reportedly the second richest man in America. Another family member, James DeWolf Perry III, served as the Presaiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church from 1930-1937.

There will be much to learn and discuss with the showing of this film. This special presentation will be hosted by Dain Perry, one of the family members who made the trip back through history to confront the family slave-trading legacy. It is being sponsored by The Cathedral and the Social Justice Committee of the Diocese

Look for further announcements. If you have specific questions, please contact Dean Harry Krauss at the Cathedral or Deacon Ricky Brightman, Chair of the Social Justice Committee (deacon.ricky@stlukeseg.org).