Do you enjoy doing historical detective work? Reading rare documents from the past? Helping to bring to light the lives of forgotten people? And getting paid for it? Read on!
My project explores the lives of black and indigenous people in Plymouth’s first church, also known as First Church of Christ of Plymouth (FCCP). Dating back to 1622, FCCP was ground zero for the Pilgrims who travelled across the Atlantic on the Mayflower. As early as 1708, black and indigenous people were baptized and worshipped in this historic church. They did so throughout the eighteenth century and beyond. Almost nobody has investigated their lives.
Here’s where you come in. I need research assistants to read through the wills, estate inventories, and other documents of white FCCP members for their references to people of African descent and Native people. We have to use these documents because the marginalized people we are interested in usually weren’t in a position to leave such records. This project involves reading digital scans of 18th. c handwriting and typing them into google docs. That will be your primary work. You’ll be paid $20 per hour for transcribing these scans. Want to join the team? Contact Keith Green, Ph.D.
Download more information about this project (PDF file)
Keywords/Areas of Study: African American history; Native American history; Church History; 18th C. handwriting; Transcription
Hourly Time Commitment (per week): No fewer than 5 hours per week, and no more than 15 hours per week (@$20 per hour)
Length of Commitment: no fewer than 1 semester, and no more than 3 semesters
Modality: Online
Type of Opportunity:Paid (e.g., Federal Work Study, funded research assistant)
Contact Faculty Lead:
Keith Green
Department of English and Communication, Africana Studies
Contact: keigreen@camden.rutgers.edu
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