Question 1

How does the experience of the group of sixty-six formerly enslaved people who moved to Boston in 1847 highlight the gap in historical narratives that focus on civil rights, and what does this reveal about the broader struggle to recognize work as a fundamental aspect of citizenship?

Answer

It proves that legal equality and access to public spaces were sufficient to ensure full civil rights, making employment issues unimportant.

It underscores the limited job opportunities and the economic instability faced by formerly enslaved and other Black workers, revealing how the right to work was often overlooked in historical accounts of the civil rights struggle.

It demonstrates that historical narratives rightfully focused on native Bostonians, as the struggles of newly arrived formerly enslaved people were not representative of the broader civil rights issues in the city.

It suggests that the right to work was universally recognized and protected, rendering other civil rights unnecessary.