Bermuda Diaspora Trail

Bermuda Diaspora trail

By: Tomas Mello, Hattie Harrison, and Grace Rothwell

FOR KIDS!

Use this booklet to travel through the Diaspora trails. The booklet will also help you explain the history of the places and what happened there long ago.

Maps and Buses:

Transportation and fares:
https://www.gov.bm/bus-fares
https://www.bermuda-attractions.com/bermuda_000091.htm#an2

ADD BUS FARES, TOMAS! IS THAT OK?

Sarah (Sally) Bassett

Important information:
Location: Front street, Hamilton (next to a one of the Bermudian representatives buildings)
Time: It's open every day
Bus Routes: Hamilton 11, and then you can walk

Sally was accused of being a witch and of posing her master, who was sick with rat spane. She was killed at the foot of the lane. We all think that she was wrongly accused. She was, however, a slave. Her execution was on 1st June, 1730, after her public whipping.

Fun Fact: When we have a very hot day, we call it a Sally Bassett!

Bermuda Heritage Museum

Stanly Lowe was former speaker for the house.

Fun activity: Try and find a man with a black suit next to a lady with a suit on, too, on the top floor of the museum.

This museum is all about slavery and the olden days.

Info on the museum: They used a typewriter to write letters to their family. There's a lot about under the sea life and the marine life. Freedom is not given; it is a right of birth, but there are moments when it must be taken. The museum has a lot of black history and slavery. This is the only museum that only shows African history!

Important information: Open hours: tuesday through saturday, 10 am to 3pm
Admission: $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for children. Kids under 6 are free. Donations are accepted.
located at the junction of duke of york street and water street, st. georgs.
bus routes: 1, 3, 10 or 11

This museum is located in Samaritan's Building!

St. Peter's Church

St. Peter's Church is one of the 13 Bermuda
African Diaspora Trail locations, one of the
6 included in this e-book. Located in the heart
of St. George's, a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
it is the oldest Anglican Church in continuous
use in the New World and one of the key sites
in Bermuda's African Diaspora Trail. This church and its graveyard still bear the traces of African slavery and the impact of it on those of the community and the church. One of the ways the traces of segregation and slavery is shown, is that there was an allocated graveyard for free blacks and slaves and a separate seating area in the church, further away from the action down below, showing that they were less worthy and didn't deserve as much as the whites, which is still standing, but with a new sense of worth today.

Furthermore, in 1612 when the first settlers arrived in Bermuda, a church was one of the first buildings to be erected on the site still to be occupied by what was later named St. Peter's Church. Evidently, what makes this site so popular is the history behind the wooden pews and the meticulous displays. Behind the polished wooden doors and the marble plaques on the graves, there is a story. A story worth knowing about. Go to St. Peter's Church to see ancient artefacts like the pulpit made of Bermuda cedar in 1660, and ask volunteers on duty for the inexplicable story that can be fully accounted for through words! Enjoy!

Important Information:
Open: Mon. - Sat., 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Sunday Service: 11:15 a.m. - All are welcome.
Location: Duke of York Street, St. George's
Bus Routes: 1, 3, 10, 11

More info:

Video:

- Photography is allowed
- A donation of $2 is to be made to the church

Photos:

Did you know that St. Peter's Church is over 400 years old?

Do your parents need a place to get married? If so, we've found them the perfect spot!

The separate burial ground for free blacks and slaves, the graves smaller and more ragged than the ones for the whites.

Commissioner's House

Commissioner's House at the Bermuda Maritime Museum, located in Royal Naval Dockyard, is a not-to-be-missed attraction to those that are intrigued by the African Diaspora Heritage Trail history, focusing on slavery through the ages. With facts, figures, and disturbing artefacts showing how badly the slaves were treated back in the day, the enlightening display follows the chilling history of Bermuda's ancestors!

In a two-room exhibit, the trans-Atlantic slave trade route, its effect on history and Bermuda's place in the African Diaspora are examined.
Furthermore, artefacts recovered from shipwrecks, such as cowry shells, glass beads, restraints and weaponry may be seen, as well as other items from excavations and private collections, making this exhibition even more interesting and appealing to people that have an interest in the African Diaspora Heritage Trail.
Come experience slavery for yourself; the amount of time and money put into the museum makes it feel realistic and gives it a drastic effect. Commissioner's house tells the story of the slave life in Bermuda and how it affected its economy from toiling in onions fields to becoming skilled shipwrights, sailors, carpenters, and pilots. Experience Bermuda's history NOW!!!

Important Information:

Open daily (excluding Christmas Day): 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Admission: $10
Bus Routes: 7 or 8
Location: Royal Naval Dockyard

Did you know that Commissioner's House is a Georgian House that was built in the 1820s and was the first ever cast iron house in the world?

Photography is allowed!

Slavery explained!

Commissioner's House Photos and Drawing