Ferry. Welcome to the Virginia Museum of history and culture in richmond, virginia. Welcome to our latest special exhibition which is titled determined the 400 year struggle for black equality. This is part of a statewide commemoration of the 400th anniversary of significant events that happened in virginia and fundamentally shaped the course of American History. That statewide commemoration is called american evolution 2019 and the determined exhibition is a legacy project of that statewide commemoration. In particular determined commemorates the 1619 arrival of the first reported captive africans in virginia. And then it looks at the ensuing 400 years and traces the legacy of the beginning of slavery in virginia through emancipation, segregation, the modern civil rights movement, up to the present day. One of the unifying themes of this exhibition is the struggle for equality and explores various ways in which black virginian have fought for equality. Whether it means freedom from enslavement and oppression, whether it means fighting for equal justice and equal access to opportunities, and, also, fighting for full consideration of their humanity. So the exhibition covers a broad chronological arc, but it uses that unifying thread of a fight for equality to explore both the victories and sometimes the defeats in that long struggle. The title determined the phrase is meant to embody the strength, the resilience, and the determination of black people who faced various forms of oppression and discrimination throughout our history. The the word determined also evokes notions of predetermination and the sense that your position in American Society is often dictated by the color of your skin. We also hope that the word inspires people to think about what theyre determined to do once they learn about this history, once they experience the exhibition, and go out back into their communities and we hope that experience leads them determined to continue the fight to bring true and meaningful equity to American Society. Why dont we go ahead into the exhibition and start looking at some of the key individuals. Determined is a range chronologically to explore various facets of black history in virginia over four centuries. And the exhibition begins in 1619 with the arrival of the first captive africans on Virginia Shores and that marks the first recorded arrival of africans in british north america. There were two british private years that we think, about 50 enslaved people to virginia for shipme shipment. You can look through a backdrop filled with names of the people of african descent here in virginia. These are names that were drawn from the earliest colonial records of the Virginia Colony as well as 17th century records in the museums own collections. And these silhouettes are meant to evoke not only the presence of the first africans in virginia, but because these people are represented in silhouettes, a silhouette is a two dimensional form. It doesnt give the full three dimensionality of their character of their lives. So their history is often obscured or even lost to us. Its incumbent to understand these pivotal moments in our history and try to imagine what the lives of these people would have been like. We can do that through the story of angela, who is one of the first captive africans brought to virginia in 1619. We know very little about her except the fact she likely came from present day angola. She was a victim of the International Transatlantic slave trade. She was on a portuguese ship that was sailing from west african coast to vera cruz, mexico. During that transatlantic voyage, two british privates captured about 50 of the enslaved people on board including angela. The british ships came to virginia. Thats how angela arrived here. She only appears twice in the historical record. Shes listed on the early musters or censuses of the Virginia Colony. Her name is spelled angelo. Shes sometimes referred to as angelo or by angela. We know she was living and working in the house of captain william pierce, who was one of the leaders of the Virginia Colony. We have some items that evoke what her life might have been like. As i mentioned, we often dont have archaeological or documentary evidence of these early people of african decent in virginia, so the exhibition tries to evoke what their experiences would have been like with related objects and there are two items excavated from early 17th century virginia plantations. Theyre typical of what probably in captain william pierces household and what types of items angela worked with. There was a hoe used for gardening and also a cooking pot. It will see the extraordinary gourd fiddle. Its much later than angelas lifetime. The fiddle dates from the 19th century, but it represents the important impact that african culture had on american culture, particularly American Music. This fiddle is made out of a gourd. That is a traditional kind of instrument that was used in west african cultures for centuries and centuries and west african musical traditions were brought to american shores by the captain africans who were brought here. And they ended up having a profound impact on American Music and other cultural forms. This is meant to represent the beginning of the influence of african culture of the development and the creation of the unique and mixed american culture. In angelas display, we also have some interpretive text asking the question of whether she was endentured or enslaved. And, actually, there is is a lot of confusion about the status of early africans and people of african descent in the Virginia Colony. Part of the reason for the confusion is that british law had not yet developed a codified system for slavery. So sometimes people of african descent in early virginia was described as servants and described in the same way that white endentured servants who came here from england and europe were described. These white servants they had contracts, usually somewhere between 4 to 7 years. They were bonded to labor for that amount of time. After they completed their service, they were freed. British law and british practices had not yet codified system slavery the way we understand it in American History. Thats why theres often confusion about the status of captive africans and people of african descent here in virginia. Never the less, its important to understand that these black people, from the very beginning, were treated differently than white people and they were essentially enslaved. They were forced into labor. They were brought here against their will. They didnt come here with an endentured contract and obtain their freedom after a certain number of years of servitude. Now speaking of the development of british law, another key figure in this story is a man named sam. He was enslaved by a man in West Moreland County and sam seems to have been a leader of slave revolt. Someone who was intent upon resist his bondage and trying to obtain his freedom. In 1688, he was punished by the virginia courts for rebellion. He was whipped in public, he was paraded around town in order to be made an example of to serve as a deterrent against other enslaved people who might be thinking about rebelling, and he was also forced to wear a punishment collar for the remainder of his life. We have an example here in the exhibition. And you can see what a horrifying object this is. Its a heavy iron collar that would have been affixed around his neck. The prongs with the sharp edges poking out were meant to restrict his movement, to visibly mark him in public as a troublemaker. Subjecting him to even further surveillance. Also, these types of objects were clearly meant to dehumanize the wearer. Sams story not only highlights the universal desire for freedom and liberty we see various forms of resistance to enslavement throughout a period of slavery in American History, but sams story also underscores the physically coercive, the punitive nature, and, also, the barbaric nature of slavery as it was developing in the system here in the Virginia Colony and also throughout the rest of the british colony in america. Another story in this early part of the exhibition, looking at the colonial period in virginia is a story of harry and dihnah. It was a story of Robert King Carter. King carter, his nickname of king, perhaps, suggests was one of the most powerful and the wealthiest planters in colonial virginia. King carter represents the development of the Virginia Colony from what was first a fledgling outpost of the British Empire to what became over the course of the colonial period a gem in the crown of British Empire. Became one of the most politically and economically powerful economies in the British Empire. That evolution transpired through two interrelated developments. The development of tobacco cultivation. It became a primary cash crop of virginia and, also, the development of slavery. Tobacco is a labor intensive crop. It required a lot of laborers, planters. Initially in colonial virginia in the 17th century were using white endentured servants. Over the course that have century, they realized it was more profitable to them to use enslave the black laborers and that is how we had the development of slavery in virginia. It was a system that eventually spread throughout all the british colonies. As the wealthiest planter, Robert King Carter represents how through that development of tobacco cultivation and slavery, we also have the stratification of colonial Virginia Society to a very powerful elite planter class and everybody else. Harry and dinah were two of the more than 700 enslaved workers of Robert King Carter. They were not content with their lot. They wanted to resist their enslavement and they tried to run away. Unfortunately, they were not successful. They were captured. As punishment for their attempt to escape, Robert Carter got permission from the court in 1708 to have their toes cut off. As carter wrote to a fellow planter, that particular punishment im quoting here cured many anegro from running away. It was a punishment deliberately intended to not only harm and punish those two people who tried to escape but also meant to serve as an example against other enslaved people who might have designs of running away themselves. This is another instance of the brutality of enslavement. For as horrific as that story is, however, i think it also underscores the intense desire for liberty and freedom and what harry and dihnah were willing to risk in order to obtain their freedom. In the midst of the horror and brutality of their punishment, i hope that visitors that incredible courage and determination. It a couple items we have related to bambara harry and dihnah story. We have an early circa 1700 printing block. It was a block used to make labels for packaging tobacco. We regularly see packages of tobacco labelled with those kinds of labels. If you get in close and look at the details, youll see a planter smoking a pipe with tobacco with an enslaved black worker cultivating the tobacco field in the background. We also have an extraordinary document. This is the 1733 inventory of Robert King Carters estate. It was taken the year after he died. It inventories his vast holdings which included more than 40 plantations and more than 700 enslaved individuals. If you read the pages, youll see how the negros, the term was used, again, im quoting the historical term, all the negros, at particular plantations are listed right along with furnishings, tools, cattle, and other assets. Legally they were considered property and counted as such in inventories, such as this one of Robert King Carters estate. This was made in 1733. At this point, bambara harry and dihnah do not appear in this inventory. It suggests they had either died or sold off to a different master. Unfortunately we dont know their ultimate fates. Were in the second chronological section of the determined exhibition and this area explores roughly century those are the two wars, the first of which established the u. S. As an independent nation. The second almost tore the nation apart ultimately ended 246 years of slavery in the u. S. We begin with what i described as a foundational paradox. The birth of the nation, through gaining independence from britain and becoming an independent nation. The birth of the nation was predicated on a fundamental contradiction between the ideal of liberty and freedom which is what the cause was fighting for and the reality of slavery. At the founding of the nation, all of the 13 colonies practiced slavery. It was a reality that the birth of the u. S. It is very difficult. It is not impossible to reconcile that conundrum. It is embodied by the great leader and great founding father. George washington and thomas jefferson, the man who gained the freedom through leadership and authored some of the most cherished ideals, such as the notion that all men are created he will. Yet they also held hundreds in bondage. There are hundreds of enslaved people. They really embody that fundamental contradiction of American History. As we trace the period between the revolution and civil war, we see the nation growing increasingly divided over the issue of slavery. As the northern states gradually abolished the practice, the institution becomes ever more deeply entrenched in the southern state, including virginia as well as states such as mississippi and alabama. Visitors will encounter a cast of characters, one of the key figures, we is to tell the story , is a woman named jame miner. She is not well known but is quite an extraordinary story. She worked as a nurse in petersburg. She gained her freedom in 1824 as a reward for heroically nursing the citizens of petersburg to an epidemic. To reward her,. Jane minor went on to continue practice nursing. We have an object related to the practice. Up to the middle of the 19th century. We have a couple of items that were used in. And bloodletting practices. One is a lancet which was a bladed knife that you would use to cut into a vein. Another item is this cupping jar. He would burn a candle under the jar to heat up the air and create a vacuum. Then you would put that over the lacerated skin to draw out blood. These are the tools that jane would have used in her daily practice as a nurse. In addition to being a nurse, jane minor became emancipator. After she herself was freed, she went on to use her earnings to purchase the freedom of 16 other enslaved women and children. It is a remarkable story. We have reproductions that were issued by the court. It shows what was often a two step process. First it bested people in the second was her giving them freedom. It is a remarkable story. One of the women was Phoebe Jackson. She gained her freedom in july 1840 through jane myers help. We also have a medical account book that Phoebe Jackson kept. The suspect that jane minor taught the craft of nursing. The remarkable story, not only of the ways in which virginians helped each other gain freedom but also how they passed on skills and knowledge is. Through probably an apprenticeship or mentoring relationship. We have the account book in which she list the various treatment she provided noting how much it costs and marking paid when she obtained payment for that treatment. Phoebe jackson performed typical medical practices of the day, cupping and bleeding and leaching and preparing bodies for the dead, tending the sick and so forth. This is jane minor and Phoebe Jackson story is also an important reminder that there were many in virginia in the antebellum period. Particularly vibrant communities of three people of color, they were called in the day in petersburg and larger cities. That said, they still faced widespread Racial Discrimination because of the color of an. We are going to explore other stories. Stories of rebellion and revolt. Another key figure is madison washington. Surprisingly, he is a man that is not well known in history books. You should be. He led a single most six restful slavery in history. That occurred in 1841. Madison washington was an enslaved man. He was sold at auction in richmond and put onto a slave ship. It was bound for the slave market in new orleans. That speaks to virginias participation and dominance in the domestic slave trade in the decades leading up to the civil war. Many enslaved people were sold from the market and sent to the deep south to work the cotton fields in the deep south. That was probably what medicine washingtons intended fate was. Except for the fact that during the voyage from richmond to new orleans, madison washington led on board the creole. He and 18 other enslaved men broke out of the cargo hold and commandeered the ship. They sailed to the bahamas through the british territory. At that time, slavery had been abolished in the British Empire. Madison washington and conspirators new, they got to british territories, they had a good chance of becoming free. The creole incident became an international sensation. It cost a diplomatic furor between american slaveholders who wanted what they consider their property back and the British Government which ultimately decided to free most of the 135 enslaved people who have been on board the creole, including madison washington. They broke out of the hold and were overpowering the , they had to improvise. Including things like a marlins bike. We have an example of one here. These were used to tighten and tie ropes aboard the ship. We also have what was a beautiful although harrowing example of the sailors. The kept all their personal belongings and chest like this one. We do not know who owned this particular chest. He did personalize it with the name of his ship, the sultan. Also the nature of that ships business. There is a painted scene of a white man holding a black man in chains. We know the sultan was involved in the slave trade. Also a copy of the original addition of Frederick Douglasss published novella, the heroic slave. Frederick douglass was captivated by madison washington story that he penned a novella. It is his only work of fiction. He himself was a former slave leading abolitionists voiced in the middle decades of the 19th century. He describes madison washington as a freedom loving virginian namely george washington, thomas jefferson, Patrick Henry and other founding fathers. Unfortunately, many attempts at slave revolt and other forms of resistance were not successful. That is simply because the entire system at the local, state and National Level was set up to preserve the institution of slavery. Enslaving people and allies that were trying to resist or fighting against insurmountable odds in many cases. We see that in the example of. Dangerfield newbie was one of the small group of men who joined the radical abolitionist john brown for his raid on the federal arsenal in october 1859. This raid was part of the planned slave revolt. John brown and army were not only going to take over the weapons at harpers ferry, they were going to add a new cache of weapons and march through the south, distributing these weapons to the enslaved people they encountered who would rise up in revolt. That army would then violently overthrow slavery in the u. S. John brown was an activist who had been fighting to end slavery for at least a decade. He felt the only way the slavery would end in the u. S. Was through violence. It was then in virginia. It is today West Virginia. In 1859, West Virginia did not exist. s reasons for joining tom browns army were much more personal. Newbie himself was a former slave, although he was free, his wife and children were still in bondage. After several attempts to obtain freedom through trying to raise money to purchase them and negotiate with their master, he was at wits end. He joined john browns army out of desperation. A last resort to free his family after other avenues had failed. You get a sense of how personal this was through several letters that were found on his person. He was the first man killed at harpers ferry. He died in the first day of fighting. Several letters from his wife harriet were found on his person. The letters no longer survive but they were transferred to further the government port. You can get a feeling you read his wifes poignant and powerful and painful letters in which she is telling her husband, the master is struggling economically. He wants to sell me and our children down south soon. I want to be reunited. Please come quickly. She is entreating him to help her and get the children out of slavery. Before they get sold. That is a tragedy that tore up the many enslaved families. Husbands being separated from wives and children being set knitted from parent. He was facing that tragedy. He took up arms in hopes that the rate would be successful. He will free his family from slavery. As i mentioned, john brown and his army were hoping he also commissioned 900. Went to arm the slaves to fight with them to abolish slavery in the u. S. We also have a 20th century print by the extraordinary africanamerican artist Jacob Lawrence. He did a series on john browns raid. Took one of the prints from that series in which Jacob Lawrence uses bold colors and geometrically simplified forms to express the Interracial Alliance of john browns army. He was one of five black men who fought beside the white allies and it shows the interracial army. There looking over the arsenal at harpers ferry. Presumably looking at the state and federal militia who are amassed to put down that particular raid. We just wrapped up our tour of the first two chronological sections of the exhibition that explored the colonial period through the civil war. The period in which slavery was established. Up to the moment when it was abolished with the civil war. And the proslavery america. Up to the present day. This was the first of a two part tour. On 400 years of African American history. You can watch this and other american artifacts programs by visiting our website, www. C span. Org history. This weekend, saturday at 8 pm eastern on lectures and history, the California Gold rush and the environment. Than real america. And sunday at 4 30 pm eastern. Scholars on the history of policy toward iran and the nuclear program. Historian dan albert talk about his book, are we there yet. The American Auto bill, past, present and driverless. Explore the past on American History tv. Every weekend on cspan three cspan3. Saturday on book tv, at 9 10 pm eastern, our interview with disability rights attorney and author grandma. In her book, she details becoming the first deaf and blind graduate of harvard law school. How she maneuvers through a sighted and hearing world. Other students can just go to school and expect teachers to teach them. I couldnt do that. I had to think about what i might be missing. How can i find the unknowns . All my life has been this process of trying to identify unknowns and figure them out and come up with solutions. Akot 10 pm on afterward, American University professor talks about his book how to be in antiracist. He is interviewed by the author and Princeton University professor, perry. I dont think even well meaning people or people who are trying to be part of the movement against racism, recognized that the history of the term. Is charged with thing analysis. Matter whether they are in the white house or planning the next mass shooting. He recounts his military career and his thoughts on leadership. His callsign chaos, learning to lead. We take you to learn about American History. Revisit the Virginia Museum of history and culture enrichments. To look at the exhibit on 400 years of africanAmerican History. Welcome back
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