In addition to full collections, the SMCHS has in its collection many financial documents, correspondence, and other materials from families that were enslavers in St. Mary’s County. These documents, though from the perspective of those who enslaved African Americans in St.
Mary’s County, can be read to reveal important information regarding African American history in Southern Maryland. For example, correspondence in the Bohanan Family Papers documents several enslaved persons held at the Bohanan family estate joined the Union army, including a man named William H. Gough. In addition, entries in various store ledgers from the area document purchases from free people of color during the pre-Civil War period. Full records of the relevant aspects of these collections to African American history are available in the finding aids of our PastPerfect Public Access webpage.
