In Fairfield County, enslaved men and boys labored on farms and wharves in a variety of important tasks. Some became highly valued for their skills. They were trained as coopers, blacksmiths, carpenters, mariners, barbers and hatters--a very significant industry to Fairfield County, especially in Danbury. In coastal towns, black and white men commonly labored alongside each other on wharves loading ships with barrels of agricultural goods for transport to New York, the West Indies and Great Britain. Black and white women also often worked very closely together to ensure a well-run household. In a wealthy household like the Bush's, white women relied on the slaves to assume many of the household's routine tasks, such as childcare and cooking.

This painting by C. Themmen depicts a farm in Shelton, Connecticut, the Captain Birdseye House, where slaves labored in the fields and household. The man standing by the gate is a descendant of slaves who lived and worked on this farm (click here to see a detail).

Image: C. Themmen, Captain Birdseye House, 1868. Courtesy Shelton Historical Society, Shelton, Connecticut.