November Lunch and Learn – The Washerwomen of Baltimore, 1800-1864

Please join former Maryland State Archivist, Dr. Edward C. Papenfuse, as he shares his research on the under-appreciated and unknown washerwomen of Baltimore during the period of 1800 to 1864 and explores what the archival sources reveal. An expert in primary source research, Dr. Papenfuse will be emphasizing what can be learned from the archival sources about the many free Black and enslaved women in Baltimore who served as washerwomen to do the laundry in Baltimore city and supported their families in the process. The presentation will include some biographical examples including the mothers of Christian Fleetwood, medal of honor winner, and his best friend, Alfred Ward Handy, who together edited and contributed to The Lyceum Observer, said to be the first newspaper in the Upper South to be owned and operated by an African American.