Unforgotten: Connecticut’s Hidden History of Slavery
It’s a history lesson many of us didn’t get in school: Slavery has deep roots in Connecticut and across New England. Enslaved people helped build the foundation of much of this state. Get to know some of these men and women and the lives they lived. Hear from descendants who reflect on their loved ones. And learn from historians and experts going on a journey of discovery to recover this hidden history. In this five-part episode podcast from Connecticut Public, Reporter/Producer Diane Orson and Editorial Consultant and Curator Frank Mitchell talk about some of the issues in, and around these stories. Visit www.ctpublic.org/unforgotten to learn more, including additional videos, photos and digital stories.
Episodes
Experts, historians and volunteers have been uncovering Connecticut’s ties to slavery. It’s one thing to unearth this forgotten history, but how do we not forget it? Meet some of the people working with students to make sure that the stories of enslaved Connecticut residents endure. The Witness Stones Project helps schools and local communities “restore the history and honor the humanity” of enslaved people who helped build Connec...
The Pleasures of Solitude, Music by Sawney Freeman, Edited and arranged by Anthony Pandolfe Jr., Recorded and mixed by Glenn Goettler. Performed on Saturday February 10, 2024 in New Canaan Conn., by violinists Ilmar Gavilan, Jonathan Frelix, Briana Almonte, flautist Jessica Valiente and cellist Paul Vanderwal. Sawney Freeman's music was discovered in a copy book dated1817 within the Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford. A p...
The New Death March, Music by Sawney Freeman. Edited and arranged by Anthony Pandolfe Jr., Recorded and mixed by Glenn Goettler. Performed on Saturday February 10, 2024 in New Canaan Conn., by violinists Ilmar Gavilan, Jonathan Frelix, Briana Almonte, flautist Jessica Valiente and cellist Paul Vanderwal. Sawney Freeman's music was discovered in a copy book dated1817 within the Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford. A pocket ...
The Musician, Music by Sawney Freeman. Edited and arranged by Anthony Pandolfe Jr., Recorded and mixed by Glenn Goettler. Performed on Saturday February 10, 2024 in New Canaan Conn., by violinists Ilmar Gavilan, Jonathan Frelix, Briana Almonte, flautist Jessica Valiente and cellist Paul Vanderwal. Sawney Freeman's music was discovered in a copy book dated1817 within the Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford. A pocket compani...
St. Alban's, Music by Sawney Freeman. Edited and arranged by Anthony Pandolfe Jr., Recorded and mixed by Glenn Goettler. Performed on Saturday February 10, 2024 in New Canaan Conn., by violinists Ilmar Gavilan, Jonathan Frelix, Briana Almonte, flautist Jessica Valiente and cellist Paul Vanderwal. Sawney Freeman's music was discovered in a copy book dated1817 within the Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford. A pocket companio...
Adam's March, Music by Sawney Freeman. Edited and arranged by Anthony Pandolfe Jr., Recorded and mixed by Glenn Goettler. Performed on Saturday February 10, 2024 in New Canaan Conn., by violinists Ilmar Gavilan, Jonathan Frelix, Briana Almonte, flautist Jessica Valiente and cellist Paul Vanderwal. Sawney Freeman's music was discovered in a copy book dated1817 within the Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford. A pocket compani...
Liberty March, Music by Sawney Freeman. Edited and arranged by Anthony Pandolfe Jr., Recorded and mixed by Glenn Goettler. Performed on Saturday February 10, 2024 in New Canaan Conn., by violinists Ilmar Gavilan, Jonathan Frelix, Briana Almonte, flautist Jessica Valiente and cellist Paul Vanderwal. Sawney Freeman's music was discovered in a copy book dated1817 within the Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford. A pocket compan...
Jefferson's March, Music by Sawney Freeman. Edited and arranged by Anthony Pandolfe Jr., Recorded and mixed by Glenn Goettler. Performed on Saturday February 10, 2024 in New Canaan Conn., by violinists Ilmar Gavilan, Jonathan Frelix, Briana Almonte, flautist Jessica Valiente and cellist Paul Vanderwal. Sawney Freeman's music was discovered in a copy book dated1817 within the Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford. A pocket co...
Solemnity, Music by Sawney Freeman. Edited and arranged by Anthony Pandolfe Jr., Recorded and mixed by Glenn Goettler. Performed on Saturday February 10, 2024 in New Canaan Conn., by violinists Ilmar Gavilan, Jonathan Frelix, Briana Almonte, flautist Jessica Valiente and cellist Paul Vanderwal. Sawney Freeman's music was discovered in a copy book dated1817 within the Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford. A pocket companion ...
Rays of Liberty, Music by Sawney Freeman. Edited and arranged by Anthony Pandolfe Jr., Recorded and mixed by Glenn Goettler. Performed on Saturday February 10, 2024 in New Canaan Conn., by violinists Ilmar Gavilan, Jonathan Frelix, Briana Almonte, flautist Jessica Valiente and cellist Paul Vanderwal. Sawney Freeman's music was discovered in a copy book dated1817 within the Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford. A pocket comp...
Winter Piece, Music by Sawney Freeman. Edited and arranged by Anthony Pandolfe Jr., Recorded and mixed by Glenn Goettler. Performed on Saturday February 10, 2024 in New Canaan Conn., by violinists Ilmar Gavilan, Jonathan Frelix, Briana Almonte, flautist Jessica Valiente and cellist Paul Vanderwal. Sawney Freeman's music was discovered in a copy book dated1817 within the Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford. A pocket compani...
Washington's Farewell, Music by Sawney Freeman. Edited and arranged by Anthony Pandolfe Jr., Recorded and mixed by Glenn Goettler. Performed on Saturday February 10, 2024 in New Canaan Conn., by violinists Ilmar Gavilan, Jonathan Frelix, Briana Almonte, flautist Jessica Valiente and cellist Paul Vanderwal. Sawney Freeman's music was discovered in a copy book dated1817 within the Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford. A pocke...
The Union of all Parties, Music by Sawney Freeman. Edited and arranged by Anthony Pandolfe Jr., Recorded and mixed by Glenn Goettler. Performed on Saturday February 10, 2024 in New Canaan Conn., by violinists Ilmar Gavilan, Jonathan Frelix, Briana Almonte, flautist Jessica Valiente and cellist Paul Vanderwal. Sawney Freeman's music was discovered in a copy book dated1817 within the Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford. A po...
The Pleasures of Solitude, Music by Sawney Freeman. Edited and arranged by Anthony Pandolfe Jr., Recorded and mixed by Glenn Goettler. Performed on Saturday February 10, 2024 in New Canaan Conn., by violinists Ilmar Gavilan, Jonathan Frelix, Briana Almonte, flautist Jessica Valiente and cellist Paul Vanderwal. Sawney Freeman's music was discovered in a copy book dated1817 within the Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford. A p...
St. Alban's, Music by Sawney Freeman. Edited and arranged by Anthony Pandolfe Jr., Recorded and mixed by Glenn Goettler. Performed on Saturday February 10, 2024 in New Canaan Conn., by violinists Ilmar Gavilan, Jonathan Frelix, Briana Almonte, flautist Jessica Valiente and cellist Paul Vanderwal. Sawney Freeman's music was discovered in a copy book dated1817 within the Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford. A pocket companio...
The Pleasures of Solitude, Music by Sawney Freeman. Edited and arranged by Anthony Pandolfe Jr., Recorded and mixed by Glenn Goettler. Performed on Saturday February 10, 2024 in New Canaan Conn., by violinists Ilmar Gavilan, Jonathan Frelix, Briana Almonte, flautist Jessica Valiente and cellist Paul Vanderwal. Sawney Freeman's music was discovered in a copy book dated1817 within the Watkinson Library, Trinity College, Hartford. A p...
It's a story of mystery and music. Connecticut church volunteers searching to learn more about their community’s history learn that a once-enslaved fiddler named Sawney Freeman lived in their town. They go on a meticulous search to learn about this musician and discover he was also a composer. In fact, handwritten manuscripts of music attributed to Sawney Freeman were stored in a library across the state. The church painstakingly r...
Venture Smith's story is the first published narrative by an enslaved person in the U.S. It was issued in 1798. It’s also one of the few published narratives of slavery in New England. He describes his capture in Africa and life in Connecticut. He bought his own freedom and then built a home near where his wife and children remained enslaved. He spent years working to save money to buy their freedom. Meet his descendants who are wo...
It started with a phone call from a stranger. A teacher told Pat Wilson Pheanious that her ancestors were enslaved – in Connecticut. They included Candace, who in the late 1700s worked in what is now the Hyland House Museum in Guilford. The discovery “gave me a family I didn’t know that I had,” Wilson Pheanious said. She describes it as “the best gift of my life.”
In our second episode, reporter/producer Diane Orson and editorial c...
When we think of slavery in the United States, we don’t usually think of the North. But enslaving people was legal in Connecticut for more than 200 years and did not officially end until 1848. In our first episode, Reporter/Producer Diane Orson and Editorial Consultant and Curator Frank Mitchell dive into complicated questions: Who owns this history? Who should present it? In what ways was this history hidden?
There’s a deeply-roo...
Popular Podcasts
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.
Listen to the latest news from the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina are here and have everyone talking. iHeartPodcasts is buzzing with content in honor of the XXV Winter Olympics We’re bringing you episodes from a variety of iHeartPodcast shows to help you keep up with the action. Follow Milan Cortina Winter Olympics so you don’t miss any coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and if you like what you hear, be sure to follow each Podcast in the feed for more great content from iHeartPodcasts.
Saskia Inwood woke up one morning, knowing her life would never be the same. The night before, she learned the unimaginable – that the husband she knew in the light of day was a different person after dark. This season unpacks Saskia’s discovery of her husband’s secret life and her fight to bring him to justice. Along the way, we expose a crime that is just coming to light. This is also a story about the myth of the “perfect victim:” who gets believed, who gets doubted, and why. We follow Saskia as she works to reclaim her body, her voice, and her life. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at betrayalpod@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com