‘Ben’s Ten: Chattel Slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore’ on MPT Feb. 19
Program sheds light on the lives of enslaved Marylanders – including a young Harriet Tubman
OWINGS MILLS – Maryland Public Television will premiere its one-hour documentary “Ben’s Ten: Chattel Slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore” on Feb. 19. The program will …
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‘Ben’s Ten: Chattel Slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore’ on MPT Feb. 19
Program sheds light on the lives of enslaved Marylanders – including a young Harriet Tubman
OWINGS MILLS – Maryland Public Television will premiere its one-hour documentary “Ben’s Ten: Chattel Slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore” on Feb. 19. The program will air at 9 p.m. on MPT-HD and the MPT live stream, and it will be available to view live and on demand using the free PBS app and MPT’s online video player.
“Ben’s Ten” takes viewers on a journey with Maryland Department of Transportation Chief Archaeologist Dr. Julie Schablitsky as she leads a team of archaeologists and historians working to uncover artifacts that illuminate the history of slavery and the lives of the enslaved in Dorchester and Talbot counties during the 19th century. A preview is available at youtu.be/foofh7Pyncg?.
Among the team’s discoveries are remnants of a dwelling believed to be the home of Ben Ross, the father of abolitionist hero Harriet Tubman. Joined by Tubman’s descendants, the group examines the 10 acres surrounding the Ross homesite known as “Ben’s 10.”
Now part of Blackwater National Wildlife refuge, the property once belonged to the enslaver Anthony Thompson. The excavation of Ross’s home provides insight into Tubman’s early years – and into the harsh realities faced by those in bondage.
Other sites featured in the program include another home on the Thompson property, where archaeologists uncover what is presumably an enslaved family’s “spirit bundle”; the slave quarters at Talbot County’s Wye Plantation; and the home of a doctor, his family and their enslaved laborers in Cambridge. Artifacts excavated from these sites shed further light on the history of slavery in Maryland and the untold stories of the people who fought to free the enslaved.
“Ben’s Ten: Chattel Slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore” premieres in February among a slate of programs airing on MPT in recognition of Black History Month. MPT will feature more than 20 documentaries and specials that tell about the Black experience in the United States. More information about MPT’s Black History Month program lineup can be found at mpt.org/dei/blackhistorymonth.
“Ben’s Ten: Chattel Slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore” is produced in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration, which oversees archeological work in the state.
