Grace Robinson

Research Subjects
Written By John Mills

In 1837, James Mars, a former slave and abolitionist, was approached by other abolitionists; asked to sign a court petition to free Nancy Jackson, a slave brought from Georgia by James Bullock, grandfather of Theodore Roosevelt.

Connecticut was a free state. Slaves born after March 1st, 1784 were free once they turned age 25.

The Bullock family was only here to visit James Bullock’s son who was here in Connecticut while in College, but while here, Mr. Bullock’s wife went into labor, causing her to remain here longer than expected.

Nancy Johnson was brought here with the Bullock family to be "Mammy" to their newborn in the event she was born while they were here, which occurred…Martha (Theodore Roosevelt’s Mother) was born while the family was in Connecticut. As "Mammy", Nancy Johnson was charged with nursing and caring for Martha.

On plans to take Nancy back to Georgia, she fled, just as James Mars’ family did 4 decades prior. James signed the petition at the offices of William Ellsworth, the same attorney who represented Prudence Crandall 4 years prior. Ultimately, Nancy’s case was won and she was freed.

Returning to Georgia, Martha was raised at the Bulloch mansion. Mr. Bulloch used another slave as "Mammy" to Martha. Her name was Grace Robinson, shown in a 1905 photo with President Roosevelt at Bulloch Hall, long after slavery had ended, yet still working in similar capacity.

My plan is to do further research into the life and times of Ms. Grace Robinson.

John Mills

Originally from San Diego, John Mills is a technologist by trade, but an equity advocate and independent scholar by passion. The descendant of both southern and northern enslaved, John focuses on unearthing little known people and stories of this country’s history in slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. John presents research through the lens and perspective of a descendant, with intent to inspire understanding and empathy, a means to inspire good, God fearing people, now armed with information, to look into whether they may be unwittingly aligning to biases resulting from the reverberating effects of a past time. John is a member of the Connecticut Freedom Trail and a member of the Webb Deane Stevens Museum Council. John is also working with an international team funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in an effort to deliver transformational impact on digital methods in cultural institutions...a means to decolonize museums. Finally, John is working with the state of Connecticut, business leaders and scholars in Middletown, CT to honor and memorialize a former enslaved individual by the name of Prince Mortimer.

https://alexbreanne.org
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