The Sugar Planters of Brattle Street

Between 1675 and 1833, the Vassall family (builders of our Cambridge mansion) and their relatives enslaved thousands of people on their sugar plantations in Jamaica. They used the fortunes they made from sugar to build some of the most famous houses in Cambridge, give extravagant gifts to Harvard, and buy their way into British aristocracy.

Caitlin Galante DeAngelis Hopkins is a Lecturer in History and Literature at Harvard University. Caitlin earned a BA in History from Brown University and an MA in History and a PhD in American Studies from Harvard University. She studies early American history, focusing on New England in the 17th and 18th centuries. 

Space is limited, so please call (617) 876-4491 or email long_reservations@nps.gov to reserve your spot! Part of the Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters NHS Fall Lecture Series.