How were these luxurious houses built and maintained? Primarily by slaves.
How did people become slaves in America? Slave ships were the beginning.
On the right side of the following list, compare the number of slaves embarked from Africa to the number of slaves disembarked in Charleston. It was a perilous journey to a terrifying, unknown life.
How did slaves get to the plantations? Primarily by slave auctions.
This brick wall is all that is visible from Ryan’s Mart where slaves were auctioned until 1863.
The 1808 ban on the United States participation in international slave trade led to the creation of a domestic slave-trading system. Charleston functioned as a major slave collecting and reselling center. More than one million American-born slaves were sold away from plantations in the upper South to work the rapidly expanding cotton and sugar plantations in the lower South.
At BOONE HALL we learned what happened behind the plantation houses.
The nearly mile long drive is flanked by two rows of evenly spaced, stately, live oak trees. It has taken over two centuries for the massive, moss-draped branches to meet overhead, forming a natural corridor.
The plantation dates from 1681 but the current house was built in 1936. The house is a creation of how the owners visualized a traditional plantation house.
The spring garden was lovely,
Especially the azaleas.
Out of sight of the Big House there are nine original slave cabins on the property.
Each cabin portrays one aspect of slave life.
Over time worship became a mix of African heritage and Christian traditions.
Each cabin consisted of one room where all aspects of life were carried out.
Each slave was issued one blanket every two or three years. Scraps of material from the Big House were used to make quilts that were worn threadbare.
For household use, women made baskets of sweetgrass because of its pleasant, hay-like aroma. Today sweetgrass baskets are very popular for practical purposes as well as souvenirs.
One cabin has photos and memories from former slaves.
In the United States slavery officially ended in 1865.
That was only the first step towards freedom. In 1955 Rosa Parks (1913 to 2005) refused to give up her seat on a bus to make room for a white passenger.
In 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 to 1968) led a march on Washington where he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.
Today, in the 21st century, we just need to listen to the news to realize that slavery may be outlawed but racism, discrimination and intolerance cannot be legislated.
Mankind must learn to see all people as human beings worthy of respect.
God of all people, please guide us.
We see the integration in the school yards and believe that over time racism will disappear. Sooner in Canada, probably.
ReplyDeleteThat must have been a very powerful part of your trip. I too, hope that one day, racism will no longer exist, and as the Dalai Lama says, we are all human beings. Everyone is seeking happiness and no one wishes to suffer.
ReplyDeleteThis was absolutely riveting. Great information. Read it over and over. Loved the photos. Learned a great deal from this blog!
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