Good Grit: Black Sailors of Lincoln County

This online program is free and open to the public. Preregistration is required. Click here to sign up.

Learn about the lives of a few of the incredible Black men— free and enslaved— who worked the waters of the Kennebec and helped shape Lincoln County.  This talk will span the decades from the 1700s to the late 1800s.  Korinne Tanzer will discuss early enslaved men who were forced to sea by their enslavers and men like Zina Lewis, who, full of “good grit” as reported by one local newspaper, made a name for himself as a very successful Black captain on the Kennebec River. Tanzer tells of the determination and grit of men whose stories have been hidden but who left an important mark on Maine’s rich maritime tradition.

About our speaker: Korinne Tanzer is currently obtaining a bachelor’s degree in History through Arizona State University online. She has been involved as a volunteer with Lincoln County Historical Association for two years. Currently a member of LCHA’s Board of Trustees and a member of the Wiscasset Old Jail stewardship committee, she has been researching the lives of many of the 19th century inmates. Korinne has a passion for maritime history and LGBT+ history. She currently runs a blog devoted to maritime, Maine, and queer history and her favorite Jane Austen novel is Emma. She can be reached at [email protected].

Thank you to Series Supporter J. Edward Knight Insurance for helping LCHA make this program available for free!