Many Voices - Many Stories

The Project is dedicated to sharing the stories of people who lived, labored, and died at the site of the John Dickinson Plantation. Its directive is to research, compile, record, and share information about all enslaved, indentured, free, and freedom-seeking Black people connected to land over which the Dickinson family claimed ownership. The Project endeavors to give voice to people whose stories have been marginalized and largely lost to time, recognizing the humanity and agency of historically oppressed people as well as how they interacted with and impacted the communities and landscapes around them.

Project Methodology  

Learn About Life on the Plantation. This is... Violet Brown's Story

There are many documents that detail Violet’s story, though her story is always seen through the lens of the white person writing the documents.

Violet was born in or around 1751. Violet was probably born on the Delaware landholdings of the Dickinson family. She was likely enslaved from the time of her birth. The Dickinson family members that established their Delaware plantation in 1740 were Samuel Dickinson, his second wife, Mary Cadwalader Dickinson, and their two sons, John and Philemon.

The first documented mentions of Violet were from 1761 to 1763, while she was enslaved by the Dickinson…

Violet Brown's illustrative portrait
Illustration of Violet taking care of one of Mary and John Dickinson's children.
View Violet Brown's Story 
Explore Over 100 Profiles of people who lived, worked, and died on the John Dickinson Plantation