Lecture: "The Great Plot: Burning Manhattan"
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
7:00 PM | Free! Online via WebEx
In May, 1741, two enslaved men, Kofi and Qwaku, were tried by the New York Supreme Court. Both men were accused of “wickedly, voluntarily, feloniously and maliciously conspiring, combining, and confederating…with divers other Negroes, to kill and murder inhabitants of this city…” We may be more familiar with other large scale slave insurrections such as Nat Turner’s in Virginia, or the Stono Rebellion in South Carolina, or the Haitian Revolution, or the events surrounding the Amistad. However, decades before the American Revolution, New York City was the epicenter of two rebellions. Join historian and Philipse Manor Hall’s Site Director, Michael Lord as he discusses the Great Plot of 1741 and how the City’s enslaved community was able to plan and coordinate such a large and dangerous conspiracy.
Speaker Bio:
Michael A. Lord is the Historic Site Director at Philipse Manor Hall. A well-seasoned Public Historian, Mr. Lord has decades of experience in research and content development at numerous museums and historic sites. He is a graduate of Amherst College and the College of William & Mary with degrees in African American studies, American History, and American studies, and specializes in presenting the complex and often underrepresented stories of the colonial African American experience.
Tickets:
This virtual program is free, but registration is required.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of Philipse Manor Hall and Tompkins Bank.
