Making Space(s) for Black Children in Vermont, US, 1870-1945

Meghan Cope, University of Vermont
Olivia Roscoe, Girls Inc.

We examine the experiences of Black children who passed through The Home for Destitute Children in Burlington, Vermont, which operated between 1866 and the 1950s. Through archival research and historical analysis, we explore how the presence of thirteen children of color from various backgrounds simultaneously challenged and reinforced stereotypes of Vermont as a predominantly white space. Beginning with handwritten logbooks kept by the Home’s matrons, we compiled information about the children's placement in the Home and assessed the language used to describe their circumstances. We then located each child in the manuscript census and other public records, allowing us to trace them over several decades, thereby building a picture of each child’s life trajectory before and after their stay at the Home. Our findings complicate the dominant historical narratives that portray early twentieth century Vermont as homogeneous and white, revealing the experiences of marginalized communities who have been shaped by and have challenged these narratives. Using visualizations such as an annotated timeline and a story-map we are able to share the children's trajectories and connections in a more accessible manner. Overall, we demonstrate that paying attention to smaller archives, to Black children’s presences and absences in historical records, and to the fluidity of racial categories can reveal nuanced stories for understanding the construction of ‘identity-in-place.’

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 120. Historical Geographies of Childhood and Youth