In 1808, a new Congregational church was built in Hadley, Massachusetts. The pews (benches surounded by partial walls) on the main floor were sold to White families, with the most expensive pews in the front, closer to the pulpit. Seating upstairs in the “gallery” was designated for single White men and women, and all African Americans, who were cordoned off behind a balustrade that prevented them from communicating with anyone else.
Munn, Asa B. [Seating “Negroes” in the Old Hadley meetinghouse.] November 8, 1874. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l09-008/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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