You cannot separate the history of Annapolis from the rich history of the African-American community who made up one-third of the city’s population during the 19th century, and there is no better way to explore that history than taking a walking tour offered by Annapolis Tours by Watermark. Julie Brasch, Mistress Julie as she has been known for the past 15 years, leads people through the cobblestone streets of the city, bringing knowledge and compassion to the stories.
The tour starts at City Dock where 48 slave ships brought human cargo to Annapolis between 1756 to 1775. Mistress Julie told of the journey of Kunta Kinte, an ancestor of Alex Haley (the writer of the award-winning novel and movie, “Roots”), on the Lord Lingonier which docked in Annapolis in 1767. This spot is marked by the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley monument, the only one of its type in the country, which sits outside the historic Annapolis Market House.
The Market House, which has serviced Annapolis since 1788, was a meeting place for African-American slaves and indentured servants. There they sold eggs, produce, and handmade goods. More importantly, this was one of the few places where fractured families could reunite and discuss the events of the day.
As we passed by historic landmarks throughout the city, Mistress Julie pointed out old taverns behind which slaves were sold. She stressed the sadness of broken families, sold to different masters, and educated us on the local mixing of races (African, Native American, and Irish) that took place during that time. Dressed as an indentured servant, Mistress Julie told us how she personally traces her heritage back to that mixing of lines.
Standing under a 300 year old Mulberry tree outside the home on Governor William Paca (one of the four Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence), Mistress Julie pulled aged documents and photos from her hanging cloth pouch (worn by slaves of that time). During William Paca’s time, she said, “they were taught that slaves were like inanimate objects.” She tried to make sense of how William Paca wanted ‘liberty for all’ when signing the Declaration of Independence, but did not include slaves in the ‘all.’ To balance this ethical dilemma, she told us about Marcellus Hall. The Paca House became a hotel know as Carvel Hall in 1901. Marcellus Hall, an African-American staff member, was a simple bellboy in 1913 when he started working there. By the time the hotel closed in 1965, he had risen to become the Superintendent of Services.
Strolling past brick, cloboard, and wooden style homes, it was uplifting to learn about the first African-American school at 91 East St, which was opened in 1868 by the Order of the Galilean Fisherman. Many African-Americans lived in tenements along East and Fleet streets. Renting these 2 room row houses gave them easy access to their work at the Naval Academy. The first ‘free person of color,” James Holliday, purchased 97, 99, and 101 East Street in 1850, and his decedents still own #99 today.
On Lawyers Mall, in front of the Maryland State house, the tour fast forwards 200 years from the landing of the Lord Lingonier in 1767 to the appointment of Thurgood Marshall, as the first African-American Supreme Court Justice in 1967. On Lawyers Mall are statues commemorating Justice Marshall and two landmark cases he argued before the United States Supreme Court; it should be noted that he argued and won more cases before the Supreme Court than any other American. Those two cases changed the fabric of the United States: Brown v. Board of Education, a decision that desegregated public schools, and Murray v. Pearson, which changed the segregation policy of the University of Maryland Law School allowing admission to all qualified candidates, regardless of race.
We ended our two-hour expedition at the Banneker-Douglas Museum on Franklin St. The museum is housed in a nationally registered historic building, which was originally the Mt. Moriah A.M.E. Church built in 1874. The museum was dedicated in 1984, and is the official repository of African-American culture in Maryland.
Informative and humbling, Mistress Julie reminded us that, though we may no longer enslave people today in this country, people are still very judgmental of others and “could be a little kinder.” Thank you Mistress Julie for a wonderful afternoon and your historical knowledge.
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