Erica Duncan is an Advisory Council Dissertation Fellow and a PhD Candidate in the Department of History at New York University. Her dissertation, “Childish Freedoms: Black Children and the Making of Freedom in South Carolina and the Bahamas, 1715-1838,” centers on the lives of enslaved and freed children of African descent in the British Atlantic to examine how British settlers used these children as tools of settlement, while also showing how these children became essential to shaping ideas of freedom within the Black Atlantic.
Q: What drew you to the study of early America?
Duncan: When I first entered graduate school as a master's student in African American Studies at UCLA, my thesis centered on the intimate lives of incarcerated Black girls in North Carolina during the twentieth century. As I was trying to piece together the life stories of these girls and women, my advisors and faculty mentors encouraged me to engage with the archival methods of scholars of slavery and gender, particularly those scholars who centered on the body as a critical site of analysis. I became deeply inspired by their archival methods and the conversation that the intimate lives of enslaved women are essential to understanding communities of African descent's pursuits and practices of freedom. When I started my doctoral program at NYU, I decided that I wanted to join this conversation.
Q: How did you become interested in your dissertation topic?
Duncan: I originally started my archival research trying to locate and question how enslaved Black women's economic activities sustained themselves and their communities in South Carolina during the Age of Revolutions. However, as I was searching for these women's lives in various archives, I continued to notice the presence of enslaved children. Perhaps my previous research interests as a master's student pushed me to see these children, so I took this as a sign to interrogate the significance of these children. I changed my research questions to ask: how did enslaved children inform their community's pursuits and practices of freedom? In asking and answering this question, my dissertation not only attempts to demonstrate how these children influenced enslaved and freed communities of African descent's practices of freedom, but it also shows, by tracing these children's lives, we can expand understandings on the systems that attempted to exploit them.
Q: What is the primary source you've most enjoyed using in your research?
Duncan: My research relies heavily on legal and mercantile records, but runaway advertisements remain one of my most helpful and inspiring sources. I have strategically used these advertisements to piece together a more expansive picture of enslaved children’s lives, such as mapping out the vast geographies that children moved through and created. I am often surprised and in awe by the number of enslaved children who took the chance to seek freedom, whether that be alone, with other children, or with those they considered kin. Plus, these advertisements are one of my most helpful teaching tools. Undergraduate students find these extremely accessible, and they have often asked new questions of these sources that foster fascinating discussions and push me to rethink the everyday lives of Black freedom seekers.
Q: What do you find most rewarding about the research process?
Duncan: When researching histories of enslaved children and their communities, I sometimes find myself weighed down by what I find in the archives. Therefore, I feel most rewarded when I find those moments when enslaved children and their communities achieved what they may have viewed as a success. Whether that be finding legal freedom or enjoying a playful moment, locating those moments sustains me as a researcher.
Q: What are you most enjoying about your Fellowship at the McNeil Center?
Duncan: I truly appreciate being in conversation with the other fellows. Everyone's research is asking exciting new questions and taking new approaches. Plus, even with the diversity of our research topics, I find our interests often intersect in interesting ways. I appreciate being able to walk over to another fellow's office to ask for their insights and advice on research, as well as navigating aspects of academia.
Q: What are some of the highlights of your time spent in Philadelphia as a McNeil Center fellow?
Duncan: I enjoy coffee and cafes, and Philadelphia has a lot of great cafes to work in, enjoy the company of others, and relax. I find it's one of the easiest ways to explore the city. My café hopping has allowed me to explore West Philly, Center City, South Philly, and Fishtown, and I am excited to look for more.
Erica Duncan is an Advisory Council Dissertation Fellow and a PhD Candidate in the Department of History at New York University. Read more about her dissertation on her bio page.