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Parting Ways (Plymouth, Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
Parting Ways was an African-American settlement of freedmen
on Route 80
in Plymouth, Massachusetts, near the Plymouth/Kingston
town line. Other names for Parting Ways include the Parting Ways Archeological District and the Parting Ways New Guinea Settlement. It was founded on 94 acres (380,404.8 m²) by four former slaves who fought in the American Revolutionary War
: Cato Howe, Prince Goodwin, Plato Turner, and Quamony Quash and their families. They were granted the land and their freedom by the Massachusetts courts due to their service in the war. Part of this land was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on
April 19, 1979.
The site consists of a cemetery
and the foundations
of the families' houses. This site was excavated in the middle 1970s by an archaeological
team headed by the late Dr. James Deetz, a professor of anthropology
at Brown University
and assistant director at Plimoth Plantation
.
Free Negro
A free Negro or free black is the term used prior to the abolition of slavery in the United States to describe African Americans who were not slaves. Almost all African Americans came to the United States as slaves, but from the earliest days of American slavery, slaveholders set men and women free...
on Route 80
Massachusetts Route 80
Route 80 is a C-shaped state highway in southeastern Massachusetts. The highway is signed as west–east.-Route description:Route 80 starts at Carver Road in the West Plymouth section of Plymouth. Due to the removal of Route 44, this is an unusual instance that a numbered route does not have...
in Plymouth, Massachusetts, near the Plymouth/Kingston
Kingston, Massachusetts
Kingston is a coastal town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. According to the 2010 Census, it had a population of 12,629.-History:Before European settlers arrived in Kingston it was within the tribal home to the Wampanoag people...
town line. Other names for Parting Ways include the Parting Ways Archeological District and the Parting Ways New Guinea Settlement. It was founded on 94 acres (380,404.8 m²) by four former slaves who fought in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
: Cato Howe, Prince Goodwin, Plato Turner, and Quamony Quash and their families. They were granted the land and their freedom by the Massachusetts courts due to their service in the war. Part of this land was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on
April 19, 1979.
The site consists of a cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
and the foundations
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
of the families' houses. This site was excavated in the middle 1970s by an archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
team headed by the late Dr. James Deetz, a professor of anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
and assistant director at Plimoth Plantation
Plimoth Plantation
Plimoth Plantation is a living museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts that shows the original settlement of the Plymouth Colony established in the 17th century by English colonists, some of whom later became known as Pilgrims. They were among the first people who emigrated to America to avoid religious...
.
National Register listing
- Parting Ways Archeological District
- (added 1979 - District - #79000367)
- Also known as Parting Ways
- Address Restricted, Plymouth
- Historic Significance: Information Potential
- Area of Significance: Historic - Non-Aboriginal
- Cultural Affiliation: Afro-American
- Period of Significance: 1750-1799, 1800–1824
- Owner: Local Gov't
- Historic Function: Agriculture/Subsistence, Domestic
- Historic Sub-function: Agricultural Fields, Agricultural Outbuildings, Secondary Structure, Single *Dwelling
- Current Function: Landscape, Recreation And Culture
- Current Sub-function: Museum, Underwater