Why Rose Matters

NPS Photo / NPS Museum Collections, SAMA 3933

How do we tell the stories of people when we are not left with words of their own?

The typical and traditional story of Essex County is of just and thriving communities, celebrated wealthy white men, and a free population seeking self-sufficiency. That contrasts with the story of Rose (Lane) Derby, a Black woman whose status as free or enslaved is ambiguous. Rose's story is filled with uncertainty, adversity, and injustice and at the same time loyalty, courage, and determination.

The documents that remain are not a complete record of her life. There are no transcripts of interviews with her. And even if there were, we would not hear the tone of her voice or if she spoke loudly or softly. We would not know if she stood straight or slumped or see her expressions and gestures. The records that do exist give us pieces of information to create a small history of her life during the time in which she lived. No matter how hard we try, we can never truly know Rose’s story.

However, those limitations are not a reason to not try to learn and share what we can about Rose’s life. Why? Because her story brings us closer to the lived experience of people who may have never been given the opportunity to tell us their stories in their own way. Rose lived a life—she was born, grew up, became literate, worked, married, lived on her own, faced hardships and happy times, and later died. Her story does not have a “happy ever after” ending, but by knowing her, we can better understand the lived experience of a Black woman—one of the first generation in Massachusetts transitioning from enslaved to free.