Press Release
The South Carolina Historical Society Museum (SCHS) announced its next exhibit will be “Africa to America: The Plantation Culture of Early South Carolina,” which focuses on the plight of enslaved Africans and the many contributions they made to the culture of colonial South Carolina. The exhibit is set to open in late April 2022.
Featuring original documents held by the South Carolina Historical Society along with images and artifacts loaned by other museums and individuals, the gallery traces enslaved Africans from the rice growing regions of their homeland and highlights the skills and knowledge that they brought with them. Dr. Dan Littlefield, Professor Emeritus of the University of South Carolina, and former Director of the Institute for African American Research at that institution, is the guest curator for the exhibit.
“Now more than ever, it's important to share the stories of enslaved Africans who contributed so much to South Carolina's culture,” said Faye L. Jensen, Ph.D., Executive Director of the SCHS. “We hope this new exhibit helps people understand the experiences of the enslaved population in colonial South Carolina, as well as the immense impact they had on shaping our state into what it is today.”
The new exhibit will explore various facets of the enslaved African experience, including:
Origins
South Carolina's planters were aware of the differences among African people and expressed a real interest in securing their enslaved servants from the west coast of Africa, where the inhabitants cultivated rice as early as 1500 B.C. Items in this exhibit include: a 1755 letter from Henry Laurens; a list of enslaved males belonging to the Ball family in the mid-1700s; an image of an African rice field drawn by a slave trader (from his log dated 1793-94); and a 15th century manila, used as a symbol of wealth in Africa.
Transatlantic Trade and Marketing
Scholars estimate that more than twelve million people were forcefully taken from their homes in Africa and sold into slavery. In South Carolina, the slave trade, both international and domestic, created great wealth. Items in this exhibit include: a bill of sale for 5 people to Arnoldus Vanderhorst II; 18th century kissie pennies (used for trade in Africa); and an 18th century collar and shackles.
Rice Cultivation
Rice became South Carolina's principal export crop by 1720. The production of rice created the wealthiest plantation economy in British North America. In 1774, thanks to rice exports, Charles Town was the richest city in the American colonies. Items in this exhibit include: a rice fanner from South Carolina and another from Sierra Leone; and an entry from Roslin Plantation Journal (c:1814) discussing the task system.
Culture
Many Africans came to South Carolina possessed of skills and talents that enhanced plantation life. Weaving, cooking, pottery making, and a knowledge of herbal treatments are just a few examples of their contributions. Items in this exhibit include: A newspaper article on “Caesar's Cure;” samples of Colonoware pottery; and images of houses in a village in Sierra Leone (published in 1732) contrasted with slave dwellings at Mulberry Plantation in South Carolina.
Resistance
The Stono Rebellion of 1740 was the largest uprising of enslaved peoples in colonial British North America. Despite the resulting slave code which tightened controls, enslaved people continued to resist, as evidenced by frequent advertisements for runaways. Items in this exhibit include: the Slave Code of 1740, a 1734 newspaper article about Quash, a runaway; and a 1797 plantation journal entry concerning runaways.
The South Carolina Historical Society Museum is located in the Fireproof Building at 100 Meeting Street in downtown Charleston. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information about “Africa to America: The Plantation Culture of Early South Carolina,” visit www.schs.org .
ABOUT THE SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY:
Founded in 1855 and headquartered in Charleston, the South Carolina Historical Society (SCHS) is the state's oldest historical society and its largest private repository of documents, books, manuscripts and maps about South Carolina history. The SCHS is a non-profit organization with the mission to expand, preserve and make accessible its invaluable collection, and to encourage interest and pride in the rich historical legacy of South Carolina. The SCHS headquarters, the Fireproof Building, underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation and now serves as The South Carolina Historical Society Museum . For more information, visit: schistory.org.
