Perkins family
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 Perkins family(Family, Boston Brahmin)   | |
|---|---|
| Membership | Thomas Handasyd Perkins |
The Perkins family is part of the Boston Brahmins.[1]
Drug trade
Thomas Handasyd Perkins, a wealthy merchant and Boston Brahmin, traded slaves in Haiti, then furs to China from the American Northwest before amassing a huge fortune smuggling Turkish opium into China. Although he got rich off the trade, he avoided mentioning it, and his official biography, written by his son-in-law, never mentions the word "opium". Perkins assuaged himself through philanthropy, supporting the Boston Atheneum and the New England Institute for the Blind, which was renamed for him. The town of Belmont, Massachusetts, is named after the estate of nephew, John Perkins Cushing, who was active in the trade himself.[2]
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