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Contribution #304 of 365
Essex Boston
Cordwainer, Real-Estate Entrepreneur and Nantucket Property Owner
1760s–1827
The contribution
How this work helped shape America
Born into Nantucket's Black community during the colonial era, Essex Boston built an independent economic life through the skilled trade of cordwaining and through property acquisition. He manufactured and repaired footwear, accumulated real estate and participated in the island's free Black community during the growth of Nantucket's maritime economy. His career demonstrates early Black American participation in skilled manufacturing and property ownership.