Hidden Histories in the Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Collection of Early American Judaica

In this presentation, Hope Jones, Project Archivist working on the Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Collection of Early American Judaica, will explore the histories of people not always prioritized in the telling of American history. 

The presentation will explore the history of the Atlantic slave trade through bills of sale, deeds, broadsides and letters from the collection. The presenter hopes to make the names of the enslaved persons available so that family members might be able to trace their ancestors through this collection. The presentation will also explore the history of early prominent Jewish families in Pennsylvania, through the examination of survey maps, deeds, correspondence, and financial records. 

This presentation hopes to give some insight into the vast wealth of holdings that the Arnold and Deanne Kaplan Collection of Early American Judaica contains for researchers and academics of American Jewish history and American history alike.