Collars are objects that we often associate with animals, specifically dogs, in order to keep them constrained and close to their owner at all times. In modern times, it is rare that we associate collars with the containment of human beings, yet this inhumane act of cruelty is exactly what happened on Historic Huguenot Street throughout the 18th century.

Physical Description

The object I chose to contribute to this collaborative history project is the slave collar that was shown in the Abraham Hasbrouck House. The slave collar that is part of the Huguenot street collection is made of steel and brass. There is a label on the front and a lock on the back that can be tightened based on the circumference of the wearer’s neck. The label is engraved with the slave owner’s name, “E. Hardenbergh,” in neat cursive. There is a peculiar decorative element to the label, with pointed arrow-like symbols engraved around the border. The label is attached to a thick chain link, to ensure security of the collar while in use.

Provenance

The name on the collar, “E. Hardenbergh,” refers to Elias Hardenbergh, son of Abraham Hardenbergh who was the Supervisor of the town of New Paltz from 1751-1761, and then again in 1770 (Le Fevre, 456-457). Elias Hardenbergh was also a relative of Colonel Johannes Hardenbergh, who was a citizen of Swartekill, NY, and owned seven slaves according to the 1790 United States Census. According to the John Jay School of Criminal Justice’s New York Slavery Records Index, Johannes Hardenbergh was the owner of two slaves named Elizabeth “Mau Mau Bet” and James Baumfree, who had a daughter named Isabella. Isabella Baumfree would later change her name to Sojourner Truth.

According to information provided by the Historic Huguenot Street archives, the slave collar was given as a gift from Andrea Coons Foster in January 2010. Preliminary research suggests that Coons Foster is a descendant of a family associated with Huguenot Street. Something that I found interesting was that despite the collar being donated to the historic site in 2010, it wasn’t displayed publicly until 2016. I’m curious as to why the Huguenot Historical Society waited so long to display the collar.

Narrative

Studying and analyzing history almost always guarantees a look into the darker sides of society. Throughout history, there have been many horrific occurrences that make us question how these things could have possibly happened–slavery being one of them. Slavery can be defined as the process of taking ownership over another human being and forcing them to do laborious tasks without their consent. When discussing slavery, minds tend to travel to Southern plantations, where large quantities of slaves were forced to work. While slavery did run rampant in the South, it existed in Northern states as well. Geography aside, the implementation of slavery has undoubtedly influenced racial discrimination and prejudice, both which are still impacting us today. These discussions are important because it directly impacts the black experience in the United States of America, something that I, as a white woman, will never fully understand. After slavery was abolished, black citizens had a hard time understanding their place in American society. W.E.B. DuBois described this phenomenon as a sort of “dual-consciousness,” in reference to the difficulties in identifying as both “African” and “American,” (Groth, xvi).

How does this tie into New Paltz and the Mid-Hudson Valley? At the end of the eighteenth century, New York had the highest population of slaves in the North. Three-fifths of these slaves worked in the Hudson Valley (Groth, xvii). The kind of work that was performed included farming, tending to orchards, trade work (blacksmithing, carpentry, tailoring), and domestic work for female slaves. No matter the labor, none of it was easy. Closer to home, Sojourner Truth was considered “more valuable than a man” because she could perform not only domestic labor but also agricultural labor that brought her to outdoor fields (Groth, 8).

Who wore this collar? How did they feel when they wore it, and then when it was taken off? A collar is not only a tool to physically constrain another being, but it can also be seen as a symbol of power and dominance, similar to handcuffs. However, using a collar on a human being is extremely dehumanizing, more so than handcuffs will ever be. According to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, slave collars were used as a disciplinary method of identifying slaves who were considered risks of becoming runaways.

It is difficult and maybe a bit painful to consider the founders of New Paltz as slave owners. Yet, that was not all they were. While it is important to recognize this side of the story, the founders of New Paltz were also pioneers, entrepreneurs, and established a lasting community in the Mid-Hudson Valley. We get a firsthand account of a Huguenot Street descendant’s thoughts on this harsh truth in a Press Release from the Historical Huguenot Society. Mary Etta Schneider recalls the reason behind the French Huguenots’ arrival in New York– to escape torture, enslavement, and murder. Yet, she reflects on her ancestors doing these exact things to their slaves, something she admits to being ashamed of.

It’s important to tell the story of slavery in the North, because many people believe it didn’t happen or that it wasn’t as extreme as it was in the South. Especially with the recent activity involving the name changes of buildings on campus, I believe diving into the history of slavery in New Paltz can be enlightening, heartbreaking, and extremely informative.

References

Benton, Ned. “Sojourner Truth – Identifying Her Family and Owners.” New York Slavery Records Index, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, July 4AD, 2017, nyslavery.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/07/04/sojourner-truth-identifying-her_family-and-slave-owners/.

Groth, Michael E. Slavery and Freedom in the Mid-Hudson Valley. SUNY Press, 2017. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid,cookie&db=nlebk&AN=1514879.

Le Fevre, Ralph. History of New Paltz, New York and Its Old Families (from 1678 to 1820): Including the Huegenot Pioneers Who Settled in New Paltz Previous to the Revolution. Fort Orange Press, 1903.

The Price of Freedom: Slave Collar, Smithsonian National Museum of American History, amhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/collection/object.asp?ID=698.

United States, Congress, “Heads of Families at the First Census of the United States Taken in the Year 1790.” Heads of Families at the First Census of the United States Taken in the Year 1790, G.P.O., 1908.

Historic Huguenot Street Press Release
https://www.huguenotstreet.org/news-release-slave-dwelling-projects-mcgill-to-shine-a-light-on-northern-slavery-ownership