​Former Slaves at Dickinson College

As early at 1842, Dickinson College employed former slaves as janitors. Henry Spradley, Jim Powell, and Sam Watts were just a few of those employed. Noah Pinkney, while not technically employed by the college, was also a former slave and sold ice cream to the students on campus.

Letter to Robert Emory. Courtesy of Cooper Wingert and the
Dickinson College Archives. (Presidential Papers, Series 1, Box 1.)

About the Author

This project was created as the final project for an independent study with Professor Pinsker. Rebecca Stout is a English and History major at Dickinson College.