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CC0
Twelve Years A Slave
- Written by
- Northup, Solomon, American, 1808 - 1875
- Published by
- Derby and Miller, American, 1848 - 1853
- Date
- 1853
- On ViewConcourse 3, C3 053
- Exhibition
- Slavery and Freedom
- Medium
- ink on paper with gold, cloth, and cardboard
- Dimensions
- H x W x D (Closed): 7 3/4 × 5 1/2 × 1 5/16 in. (19.7 × 14 × 3.4 cm)
- H x W x D (Open): 7 3/4 × 11 1/2 × 4 1/8 in. (19.7 × 29.2 × 10.5 cm)
- H x W x D (open at 90 degrees): 7 3/4 × 6 × 6 1/4 in. (19.7 × 15.2 × 15.9 cm)
- H x W x D (open at 60 degrees): 7 3/4 × 5 3/4 × 5 3/4 in. (19.7 × 14.6 × 14.6 cm)
- Description
- This book is a first edition, seventeenth thousand printing copy of “Twelve Years A Slave Narrative of Solomon Northup, A Citizen of New York, Kidnapped in Washington City in 1841, and Rescued in 1853, and Rescued in 1853, From a Common Plantation Near the Red River, in Louisiana." The book has a brown cloth binding. The exterior spine is embossed with two lines running across the top and bottom of the spine. The title of the book has been embossed in gilt lettering [TWELVE/YEARS/A/SLAVE] across the top third of the spine and is surrounded by engraved flourishes. The name of the publishers [DARBY & MILLER] is embossed in gilt across the bottom of the spine. The front and back cover boards have been embossed with identical designs: two flourishes within two rectangles. The book has yellow end papers, a dedication to Harriet Beecher Stowe, a quote by Cowpee, an editor’s preface, twenty-two chapters and an appendix. The frontispiece is a portrait of Solomon Northup seated on a bench with his arms crossed. A facsimile of his signature is below the picture with a caption that reads, “IN HIS PLANTATION SUIT.” Three hundred and thirty-six pages with seven black and white plates.
- Place printed
- Auburn, Cuyahoga County, New York, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Documents and Published Materials-Published Works
- Movement
- Abolitionist movement
- Type
- narratives
- hardcover books
- Topic
- American South
- Antislavery
- Caricature and cartoons
- Domestic slave trade
- Free communities of color
- Law
- Literature
- U.S. History, 1815-1861
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2014.262
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public Domain
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CC0
School copy book used by Hannah Amelia Lyons
- Printed by
- Price, Philip Jr., American
- Used by
- Lyons, Hannah Amelia, American
- Date
- 1830-1836
- On ViewConcourse 3, C3 053
- Exhibition
- Slavery and Freedom
- Medium
- ink on paper, string
- Dimensions
- H x W: 13 x 8 in. (33 x 20.3 cm)
- Caption
- Hannah A. Lions’s School Copy Book, 1831
- Attending school in Philadelphia, Hannah Lions copied down her math, history, and poetry lessons in this notebook. Her family saved this book as "proof that there were some educated [black] people way back when."
- Source: Nancy Bercaw, Curator, Slavery and Freedom
- Description
- A school copy book printed by Philip Price in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and used by Hannah Amelia Lyons. The book has paper covers bound on the proper left side. A length of knotted pink string extends from the top edge of the binding, serving as a bookmark. Several engravings are printed on the front and back covers. On the front cover is a portrait of John Adams entitled "Late President of the United States," above an allegorical scene and space for the owner to sign the book, followed by the printer's name. The back cover has an image of an eagle flying over open waters between two ships and clasping a banner reading "SHIPPED" in its beak. Below the eagle is a floral sprig on the left and a grouping of masonic symbols on the right, with a thin scrollwork border below them. Below the border is a shield with an eagle inside it holding a banner reading "E Pluribus Unum". Below the shield are two separate allegorical scenes. The interior pages contain various school exercises including mathematics and poetry.
- Place printed
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Documents and Published Materials
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Type
- workbooks
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Hope Evans Boyd
- Object number
- 2012.124.2
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
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Negroes in Brazil: A Study of Race Contact at Bahia
- Written by
- Pierson, Donald, American, 1900 - 1995
- Illustrated by
- Debret, Jean-Baptiste, French, 1768 - 1848
- Published by
- University of Chicago Press, American, founded 1890
- Date
- 1947
- Medium
- ink on paper (fiber product), cardboard, and thread
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 7 11/16 × 5 1/2 × 1 7/16 in. (19.6 × 14 × 3.6 cm)
- Description
- A 392-page hard bound book entitled Negroes in Brazil: A study of Race Contact at Bahia by Donald Pierson. The cover is green with yellow text and graphics. The cover shows an outline of a map of South America with all countries except for Brazil filled in with yellow. Brazil has horizontal yellow lines crossing through its entirety. These lines continue to the left side of the South America outline. The uppermost and bottommost lines extend to the right side of the continent and frame the title of the book [NEGROES / IN BRAZIL] and the author’s name [DONALD PIERSON], which are both in yellow. The spine of the book is green with [PIERSON] underlined along the top edge. The title of the book is written between two sets of horizontal yellow lines. The University of Chicago Press publisher’s insignia is along the bottom edge.
- The first page of the book includes a portrait of woman with the caption: [TYPICAL BAHIAN NEGRO GIRL].
- In the Preface the author writes that the book will “contribute toward making better known and understood one aspect of Brazilian life, namely, the career of the Brazilian Negro.” The book hopes to answer the question: “What happened to the Africans who were imported in such large numbers into this part of the New World?” The book focuses on Bahia, the main Brazilian entry point for enslaved Africans. The first part of the book analyzes the racial, economic, and cultural factors that shape Bahian society. The second part examines the slave trade and race relations. The third part details miscegenation and the fading color line. The fourth part surveys with the racial composition of the classes in Bahia. The fifth section examines elements of the African culture that have survived in Bahia. The sixth section is a summary of Pierson’s findings and he argues that class over race is the determining factor in social position in Bahia.
- There are a variety of illustrations and graphics in the book.
- Page 5 has a geopolitical map of South America with [BAHIA] in Brazil filled in with thin diagonal lines. The caption for this photo is [MAP OF SOUTH AMERICA SHOWING BAHIA AND SURROUNDING AREA].
- Facing page 16 shows an image of a large structure in the Portuguese colonial style labelled [THE RICOS OF THE RIDGES] which translated to the “The Rich of the Ridges”.
- Facing page 19 shows an image of multiple, cramped homes with tile rooves and other features common in regional vernacular architecture. The image is labeled [THE POBRES OF THE VALLEYS] which translates to “The Poor of the Valleys”.
- Facing page 76 shows a painting by Jean-Baptiste Debret with the caption [A BRAZILIAN FAMILY OF THE EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY]. This graphic shows a Brazilian family leaving their home dressed in gala attire for a [customary Sunday promenade]. The family is in a single file line, led by the patriarch, followed by two young daughters and the mother. At least six enslaved individuals follow behind the family as they leave their home.
- Facing page 78 shows another painting by Jean-Baptiste Debret with the caption [A DOMESTIC SCENE IN COLONIAL BRAZIL]. This painting shows a Portuguese woman and children and five enslaved individuals engaging in a variety of domestic activities. The scene looks peaceful, but at the far-left side of the sofa sits a whip, suggesting that the scene could turn violent at any given moment.
- Page 259 shows an artistic duplicate of [SYMBOLS OF THE SOOTHSAYER’S ART PAINTED ON THE WALL OF A NEGRO DWELLING IN MATATU]. This artistic depiction is circular in form, with vines making up the bottom two thirds of the circle. Two decorative sugar bowls are depicted at the top of the image. Below the sugar bowls there is a circle with an illustration of an upside-down U-shaped object with circular shapes throughout. Above the circle is a book open to pages that read [THE LORD / IS MY / HELPER / WAIT ON / THE LORD / AND KEEP / HIS WAY]. On the left side of the circle, there is a flogger and, on the right, a knife. Two pears are below the circle. There is a phrase at the top of the image which reads [Suru ni ogun aiye] which translates to “Calm/patience conquers the world”.
- Facing page 287 is an image of a woman in traditional Candomblé festival attire with a white garment and layers of long and short necklaces. The caption reads [FILHA DE SANTO IN CEREMONIAL COSTUME READY TO ASSIST IN Candomblé RITUAL / In her hand is the symbol of Xangô, the orixá of lightning. (Photo- / graph by Friar Tomaz.)].
- Appendix B, which begins on page 262 features [COMMON SAYINGS REGARDING THE NEGRO] which are composed of misconceptions and stereotypes.
- The book has no markings, signatures, or inscriptions on the exterior or interior of the object.
- Place depicted
- Bahia, Brazil, Latin America, South America
- Place printed
- Chicago, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Documents and Published Materials-Published Works
- Type
- hardcover books
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Caricature and cartoons
- Colonialism
- Communities
- Cooking and dining
- Emancipation
- Families
- Folklife
- Foodways
- Free communities of color
- Holidays and festivals
- Portuguese colonialism
- Race relations
- Religion
- Stereotypes
- Trans Atlantic slave trade
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2010.1.247
- Restrictions & Rights
- © Donald Pierson. Permission required for use.
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Djuka: The Bush Negros of Dutch Guiana
- Written by
- Kahn, Morton Charles, American, 1896 - 1959
- Published by
- Viking Press, founded 1925
- Date
- 1931
- Medium
- ink on paper (fiber product), cardboard, and thread
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 8 7/16 × 6 × 1 5/16 in. (21.4 × 15.2 × 3.3 cm)
- Description
- A 233-page first edition hardcover book entitled Djuka the Bush Negroes of Dutch Guiana. The front cover has a dark brown imprint of a close-up depiction of an African maroon from Dutch Guiana. The spine of the book has a brown decorative print with a border along the upper and lower edges. The spine reads [DJUKA / THE / BUSH / NEGROES / OF / DUTCH / GUIANA]. Beneath the title the author’s name is imprinted [ MORTON C. / KAHN]. [ VIKING ] is located just above the lower decorative print.
- The interior end leaf of the book includes a map of the continents of South America, Africa, and a small portion of North America. This entire graphic is brick-red and light yellow in color. The light yellow continent of Africa is on the right side of the map. The early twentieth century boundary lines of Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana/British Gold Coast, Togoland, Nigeria, and Cameroon are filled in with the brick red color. The Niger River and the Congo River are also noted on the map. The interior of Africa has an illustration of individuals from their necks up. They all have coffles around their necks linking them together and the group is headed towards the western coast of Africa. The left side of the end leaf shows [SOUTH AMERICA], the [WEST INDIES] and the top of Florida labelled [N / A] presumably signifying North America. South America is light yellow, but [GUIANA] is blocked out in the same brick red color as the west African countries. The interior of South America has an illustrated depiction of a group of maroons with a dwelling behind them. The [SLAVE ROUTES] between these continents are depicted with bulleted arrows. The arrow starts at western Africa and branches to Guiana, the West Indies, and North America. The tip of the arrow pointing to Guiana has the labels of [BRITISH / DUTCH / FRENCH].
- The book includes 65 photographs. Among them are benches almost identical to those of the Ashanti in West Africa, drums, carved calabash gourds used for eating, carved wooden combs, images of transportation along waterways, and other images of daily life, dress, and culture.
- There is an inscription on the page facing the title page which appears to have been written in 1999 and was for documentation purposes.
- Place depicted
- Suriname, South America
- Place printed
- New York, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- Netherlands, Europe
- Cultural Place
- West Africa, Africa
- Classification
- Documents and Published Materials-Published Works
- Type
- hardcover books
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Caricature and cartoons
- Colonialism
- Communities
- Dance
- Dutch colonialism
- Foodways
- Free communities of color
- Music
- Race relations
- Religion
- Resistance
- Rural life
- Self-liberation
- Trans Atlantic slave trade
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2010.1.253
- Restrictions & Rights
- Unknown - Restrictions Possible
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CC0
Portrait of John Westwood
- Created by
- Johnson, Joshua, American, ca. 1763 - after 1832
- Subject of
- Westwood, John, American
- Date
- ca. 1807-1808
- On ViewCulture/Fourth Floor, 4 052
- Exhibition
- Visual Art and the American Experience
- Medium
- oil paint on canvas , wood
- Dimensions
- H x W x D (framed): 38 3/16 × 33 1/4 × 2 1/2 in. (97 × 84.4 × 6.4 cm)
- H x W (unframed): 30 1/4 × 25 1/4 in. (76.8 × 64.1 cm)
- Description
- An oil painting portrait of John Westwood, painted in conventional English portrait style of formal, bust-length pose and arranged backdrop. It depicts a half-length male figure wearing a brown coat with silver buttons and white waistcoat against a dark background. The figure is clean shaven with short brown hair, and is encircled by a faux oval frame. Painted as part of the composition, the oval frame is slightly lighter in color than the background. The painting is framed in a dark wood frame.
- Place made
- Baltimore, Maryland, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Visual Arts
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Type
- oil paintings
- portraits
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2010.25ab
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
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CC0
Servants at a Pump
- Created by
- Calyo, Nicolino, Italian American, 1799 - 1884
- Subject of
- Unidentified Man or Men
- Unidentified Woman or Women
- Unidentified Child or Children
- Date
- ca. 1840
- Medium
- oil paint on canvas , wood
- Dimensions
- H x W (unframed): 24 × 20 in. (61 × 50.8 cm)
- H x W x D (framed): 30 3/16 × 26 × 3 3/8 in. (76.6 × 66 × 8.5 cm)
- Description
- This oil painting depicts seven individuals gathered around a water pump. From left to right these figures include: a young boy working the pump handle wearing brown pants and jacket with a blue shirt, a woman seated on a basket of laundry, wearing a pink dress and white head wrap, a man with his right leg propped up on the edge of the basin in a wide brimmed straw hat, a kneeling youth in a red shirt drinking from the pump's spout, a woman carrying a bucket, a man carrying a basket of peaches over his left arm and several dead fowl in his right hand, and a woman holding a baby and a green parasol. A black dog lies on the ground behind her. All individuals except the woman and baby are on a square pavement of red brick. The water pump sits in the middle of the pavement surrounded by a low walled, rectangular basin. The pump is a rectangular stone pillar topped with a small dome. A spout protrudes from halfway up the pillar, and the pump handle is a lever that protrudes from the adjacent pillar side. Water flows out the spout into the basin below. In the background is a landscape of trees on either side of a wide street with a few buildings in the distance. On the right is a white house with a green door and shutters, and a fanlight over the entrance. In the distance are two other white buildings, one on the left with a colonnade and a tall steeple, and a much smaller one across from it on the right with a cupola. There are a several indistinct figures walking and riding down the street.
- Place depicted
- Weeksville, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Visual Arts
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Type
- oil paintings
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2010.5ab
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
-
CC0
The North Star, Volume 1, Number 22
- Created by
- The North Star, American, 1847 - 1859
- Edited by
- Douglass, Frederick, American, 1818 - 1895
- Published by
- Nell, William Cooper, American, 1816 - 1874
- Edited by
- Delany, Martin Robison, American, 1812 - 1885
- Written by
- Mott, Lucretia, American, 1793 - 1880
- Printed by
- Dick, John, British
- Date
- May 26, 1848
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W (Folded): 25 × 18 1/4 in. (63.5 × 46.4 cm)
- H x W (Open): 24 13/16 × 36 5/16 in. (63 × 92.3 cm)
- Description
- The May 26, 1848 issue of the North Star, Volume 1, Number 22. The newspaper is one large sheet of paper that has been folded in half to create a four page spread. Each page is divided into seven columns of black text. On the front page mast head, large black text states [The North Star.] In the row below, the text on the far left reads [FREDERICK DOUGLASS / MR. DELANY, / EDITORS]. In the center, the text of the newspapers slogan reads, [RIGHT IS OF NO SEX - TRUTH IS OF NO COLOR- GOD IS THE FATHER OF US ALL, AND ALL WE ARE BROTHREN] The text on the right of the heading states, [WILLIAM C. NELL, PUBLISHER / JOHN DICK, PRINTER]. The third row has the printed text, [VOL I. NO. 22. / ROCHESTER, N.Y., FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1848. / WHOLE NO. - 22.]. Included on the second page in the second panel is the speech of Lucretia Mott at the American Anti-Slavery Society.
- Place printed
- Rochester, Monroe County, New York, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Documents and Published Materials
- Movement
- Abolitionist movement
- Type
- newspapers
- Topic
- Antislavery
- Communities
- Free communities of color
- Freedom
- Mass media
- Social reform
- U.S. History, 1815-1861
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2017.36.5
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
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Pair of stars and stripes slippers attributed to Elizabeth Keckley
- Attributed to
- Keckley, Elizabeth Hobbs, American, 1818 - 1907
- Owned by
- Welles, Gideon, American, 1802 - 1878
- Date
- ca. 1865
- Medium
- fiber , leather and thread
- Dimensions
- L x W: 10 1/4 × 3 in. (26 × 7.6 cm)
- Description
- A pair of men's boudoir slippers in a stars and stripes design attributed to Elizabeth Keckley. The slippers were likely commissioned by Mrs. Gideon Welles to be presented to her husband, Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy under President Lincoln. The slippers are crocheted in stripes of red and white from the toe to the heel. Across the top of the vamp is a blue band embroidered with scattered white stars. The throat of the slippers is edged in a twisted blue and red cord. The slippers have a flat, leather sole and a squarish toe.
- Place made
- United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Clothing-Historical
- Type
- slippers
- Topic
- Business
- Clothing and dress
- Craftsmanship
- Free communities of color
- Politics (Practical)
- Slavery
- U.S. History, Civil War, 1861-1865
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2018.35.2.1ab
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
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Diary of Lieutenant John Freeman Shorter
- Written by
- Lieutenant Shorter, John Freeman, American, 1842 - 1865
- Subject of
- Delany, Martin Robison, American, 1812 - 1885
- 55th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, American, 1863 - 1865
- Garrison, George Thompson, American, 1836 - 1904
- Date
- 1865
- On ViewConcourse 3, C3 053
- Exhibition
- Slavery and Freedom
- Medium
- leather, graphite on paper, ink
- Dimensions
- H x W x D (2014.118.1a Closed): 5 × 3 9/16 × 13/16 in. (12.7 × 9 × 2.1 cm)
- H x W x D (2014.118.1a Open): 5 × 9 1/4 × 13/16 in. (12.7 × 23.5 × 2.1 cm)
- H x W (2014.118.1b): 8 × 4 15/16 in. (20.3 × 12.5 cm)
- H x W (2014.118.1c): 8 3/4 × 2 1/2 in. (22.2 × 6.4 cm)
- Caption
- A direct descendent of Elizabeth Hemings, John Freeman Shorter grew up in Washington, D.C. as a free man. By the spring of 1863, he was living in Ohio when he left for Boston to enlist in the 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. A white officer once described Shorter as “tall, of muscular build, … hair light, complexion almost white, and blue eyes, whose lively expression brightened a face otherwise somewhat grave.” Shorter became one of only two other fully-commissioned black officers in the 55th Massachusetts—“Three as worthy men as ever carried a gun,” declared the chaplain of the 55th. All three of these officers were connected to Monticello. Shorter was the only direct descendent of the enslaved at Monticello; the other two were connected through marriage.
- As the historian of the regiment wrote, Shorter had “every soldierly quality, from scrupulous neatness to unflinching bravery. He well merited the reputation of the best non-commissioned officer in the regiment. As such, he was selected for the first promotion from the ranks.” However, the army would not formally muster or recognize them as officers because of the color of their skin. Finally in the summer of 1865, when the fighting had ceased, the three men were officially commissioned as officers.
- African American soldiers in the Massachusetts regiments were promised equal treatment, including equal pay. However, the men received half of the pay that their white counterparts received. Shorter became a leading force in the fight for equal pay. To protest this pay inequality, the soldiers went without pay for a year and a half. In July 1864, the men reached out to the president himself. By October, they finally received full pay. In a celebration at their camp on Folly Island, Shorter spoke on behalf of the regiment, saying that it was their primary responsibility as men to “prove our fitness for liberty and citizenship, in the new order of things now arising in this, our native land.”
- Three weeks after this victory, the soldiers took up arms in the Battle of Honey Hill (South Carolina, November 1864). In this battle, Shorter was wounded in the leg, but he refused to stop fighting. As one soldier wrote, “Sergt. Shorter is wounded in the knee, yet will not go to the rear.” In August 1865, Shorter was honorably discharged, returning to Ohio to marry his fiancé. Sadly, Shorter succumbed to small pox, dying shortly before arriving home.
- Source: Nancy Bercaw, Curator, Slavery and Freedom
- Description
- A handwritten diary encased in a red leather cover with "Diary / 1865" embossed in gold lettering at top center surrounded by an ornate wreath. The diary is inscribed on the front endpaper in both pencil and ink. The diary begins with several printed pages including a page outlining eclipses that occurred in 1865, a calendar, a table of stamp duties and rates of postage. The diary entries were done predominantly in pencil. The diary begins on January 1, 1865 with the last entry occurring on September 30, 1865. The diary ends with a memorandum section and an accounts paid section. Both of these sections were used by Lieutenant John Freeman Shorter. A back pocket in the back of the diary contains two loose sheets of paper. One of the pieces of paper is a promotion certification for a second lieutenant in the 55th Massachusetts volunteer regiment. The document is written in ink. It is dated April 19, 1865. Additional notes are written in pencil on the other side of the document. The second piece of paper has a list of people’s names, dollar amounts and dates written on both sides in both ink and pencil.
- Transcription Center Status
- Transcribed by digital volunteers
- Place used
- South Carolina, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- Ohio, United States, North and Central America
- Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America
- Collection title
- Liljenquist Family Collection
- Classification
- Documents and Published Materials
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Movement
- Anti-slavery movements
- Abolitionist movement
- Type
- diaries
- Topic
- Antislavery
- Communication
- Free communities of color
- Men
- Military
- Race discrimination
- U.S. History, Civil War, 1861-1865
- United States Colored Troops
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from the Liljenquist Family Collection
- Object number
- 2014.118.1a-c
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
-
CC0
The North Star, Vol. I No. 37
- Created by
- The North Star, American, 1847 - 1859
- Edited by
- Douglass, Frederick, American, 1818 - 1895
- Delany, Martin Robison, American, 1812 - 1885
- Published by
- Dick, John, British
- Date
- September 8, 1848
- On ViewConcourse 3, C3 053
- Exhibition
- Slavery and Freedom
- Medium
- ink on newsprint
- Dimensions
- H x W (folded): 13 3/16 × 18 1/2 in. (33.5 × 47 cm)
- Description
- The September 8, 1848 issue of the North Star, an antislavery newspaper published in Rochester, New York by Frederick Douglass. The paper is printed with black text on yellowed newsprint. The masthead reads [THE NORTH STAR. / RIGHT IS OF NO SEX-TRUTH IS OF NO COLOR-GOD IS THE FATHER OF US ALL, AND ALL WE ARE BRETHREN. / ROCHESTER, N. Y., FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1848.] On the left side of the masthead is [FREDERICK DOUGLASS, / M. R. DELANY, / EDITORS / VOL. 1. NO. 37.] Printed on the right side of the masthead is [JOHN DICK, PUBLISHER / WHOLE NO.-37.]. The main text is organized into seven columns of small print. At the top of the column on the far left, above the publisher's notices and list of agents, is printed: [The object of the NORTH STAR will be to attack SLAVERY in all its forms and aspects; advocate UNIVERSAL EMANCIPATION; exalt the standard of PUBLIC MORALITY; promote the moral and intellectual improvement of the COLORED PEOPLE; and hasten the day of FREEDOM to the THREE MILLIONS of our ENSLAVED FELLOW COUNTRYMEN.] This issue contains several anti-slavery essays and letters, including a letter from Douglass to his previous enslaver Thomas Auld, titled [To My Old Master], as well as a critique of the Liberian colonization movement, news of the rebellion in Ireland, poetry, notices of anti-slavery society meetings around the region, and general advertisements.
- Place printed
- Rochester, Monroe County, New York, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Documents and Published Materials-Published Works
- Movement
- Abolitionist movement
- Colonization movement
- Type
- newspapers
- Topic
- Antislavery
- Communities
- Free communities of color
- Freedom
- Fugitive enslaved
- International affairs
- Mass media
- Self-liberation
- Social reform
- U.S. History, 1815-1861
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2014.151.3
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
-
CC0
Pass for free woman Harriet Lawson to visit her husband, Caleb
- Subject of
- Lawson, Harriet, American, born 1803
- Lawson, Caleb
- Date
- May 21, 1832
- Medium
- ink on writing paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 5 × 7 15/16 in. (12.7 × 20.2 cm)
- Caption
- To Visit Your Husband: Harriet Lawson’s Pass, 1832
- Harriet Lawson carried this pass to visit her husband, Caleb, at work in a nearby town. As free blacks, the Lawsons could legally marry, but Maryland placed limits on their liberty. If they traveled without a pass, they could be fined $20 or sold into slavery.
- The Back of Lawson’s Pass
- If stopped, Lawson would face the humiliation of being physically inspected. This pass described her as: “Black, 29 yrs of age five feet high has a mole on the right side of her right eye no other perceptible mark.”
- Source: Nancy Bercaw, Curator, Slavery and Freedom
- Description
- A free woman's pass for a free African American woman, Harriet Lawson, to visit her husband Caleb Lawson, signed in Frederick County, Maryland, on May 21, 1832. Davis Richardson is listed as the witness. The pass is on a single sheet of paper. There is handwriting in ink on both recto and verso, handwriting in pencil on verso only. The proper right side has discoloration and abrasions with loss of paper along the edge but no apparent loss of text. The ink writing from the verso side is visible faintly through to the recto side. Creases remain from the pass having been folded twice, once lengthwise and once widthwise.
- Transcription Center Status
- Transcribed by digital volunteers
- Place made
- Frederick County, Maryland, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Documents and Published Materials-Business and Legal Documents
- Type
- legal documents
- manuscripts
- Topic
- American South
- Families
- Free communities of color
- Freedom
- Law
- U.S. History, 1815-1861
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2014.63.7
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
-
CC0
Block of Aquia Creek sandstone removed from the East Front of US Capitol
- Commissioned by
- Architect of the Capitol, American, founded 1793
- Date
- 1824-1826
- On ViewConcourse 3, C3 053
- Exhibition
- Slavery and Freedom
- Medium
- sandstone
- Dimensions
- Overall with Weight: 15 3/4 × 21 1/4 × 14 1/2 in., 318 lb. (40 × 54 × 36.8 cm, 144.2 kg)
- Caption
- Enslaved African Americans, leased out by their slave owners, mined sandstone from local quarries and built the United States Capitol, the White House, and the Smithsonian Castle. Congress, the institution that guarded the peoples’ freedom, held sessions in a building constructed by forced labor, and the legislators would have witnessed lines of shackled slaves marching by daily en route to the Deep South. The block was quarried near Aquia Creek, Virginia, by free and enslaved workers and used in the construction of the Capitol building in 1824.
- Source: Nancy Bercaw, Curator, Slavery and Freedom
- Description
- A rectangular block of sandstone. One short side of the block has a smooth, finished surface. The other five sides are rough-hewn and pitted, showing evidence of quarry tool markings, softened by weathering. One of the long sides has mechanical tool markings across the surface, forming a cross-hatch pattern. The block predominantly is beige, with reddish-brown veins of color running lengthwise. The smooth side shows most clearly the variegation of reddish-brown strata. There is a loss at the lower-left corner of the smooth side.
- Place used
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place collected
- Aquia Creek, Stafford County, Virginia, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Buildings and Structures
- Topic
- Architecture
- Building Arts
- Free communities of color
- Government
- Labor
- Local and regional
- Politics (Practical)
- Slave hire system
- U.S. History, 1815-1861
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2013.182
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
-
CC0
Building brick from the White House
- Created by
- Kale, Jeremiah, American, active late 18th century
- Unidentified Man or Men
- Unidentified Woman or Women
- Used by
- The White House, founded 1792
- Owned by
- McCulloch, William Moore, American, 1901 - 1980
- Date
- 1793-1797; removed 1950
- Medium
- building brick and mortar
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 2 5/16 × 8 1/2 × 4 in. (5.9 × 21.6 × 10.2 cm)
- Description
- A clay brick that was once part of the structure of the White House. The brick is a standard solid style brick, slightly uneven in shape. It is a reddish-brown color, and is covered with faint remnants of white-colored mortar on all sides. A chunk of mortar protrudes off the surface at the corner of one of the brick's long, narrow sides.
- Place used
- The White House, Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Buildings and Structures
- Topic
- Architecture
- Building Arts
- Free communities of color
- Government
- Labor
- Local and regional
- Politics (Practical)
- Slave hire system
- Slavery
- U.S. History, 1783-1815
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of James F. Dicke, II
- Object number
- 2013.232.1
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
-
CC0
Building brick from the White House
- Created by
- Kale, Jeremiah, American, active late 18th century
- Unidentified Man or Men
- Unidentified Woman or Women
- Used by
- The White House, founded 1792
- Owned by
- McCulloch, William Moore, American, 1901 - 1980
- Date
- 1793-1797; removed 1950
- Medium
- building brick and mortar
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 2 5/16 × 8 3/16 × 4 in. (5.9 × 20.8 × 10.2 cm)
- Description
- A red clay brick that was once part of the structure of the White House. The brick is a standard solid style brick, slightly uneven in shape. It is a reddish-brown color, and is covered with faint remnants of white-colored mortar on all sides. There are slight losses at two corners.
- Place used
- The White House, Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Buildings and Structures
- Topic
- Architecture
- Building Arts
- Free communities of color
- Government
- Labor
- Local and regional
- Politics (Practical)
- Slave hire system
- Slavery
- U.S. History, 1783-1815
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of James F. Dicke, II
- Object number
- 2013.232.2
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
-
CC0
Ledger of supply costs for eleven Revolutionary War soldiers
- Created by
- Goodrich, Isaac, American
- Subject of
- Simbo, Prince, American, ca. 1737 - 1810
- Date
- 1782
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 12 7/16 x 8 in. (31.6 x 20.3 cm)
- Description
- A one page, legal-size document that lists soldiers, both black and white, and the cost of supplies for each man for the year 1781.
- Place made
- Glastonbury, Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Documents and Published Materials
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Type
- documents
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2009.14.2
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
-
CC0
Seaman's Protection Certificate for Robert Barnaby
- Created by
- Barker, J. N., American
- Subject of
- Barnaby, Robert, American, born 1807
- Date
- April 21, 1834
- On ViewCommunity/Third Floor, 3 053
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 8 1/2 x 10 3/8 in. (21.6 x 26.4 cm)
- Description
- Originally issued in 1826, this is an official copy of an early manuscript Seaman's Protection Certificate for Robert Barnaby (April 21, 1834). The certificate describes him as as "a Citizen of the United States of America," with "black complexion, black eyes, wooly hair."
- Place made
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Documents and Published Materials-Business and Legal Documents
- Type
- citizenship papers
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2009.14.3
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
-
CC0
Petition signed by John Cuffe and Paul Cuffe regarding taxation
- Written by
- Unidentified
- Signed by
- Cuffe, John, American, 1752 - 1836
- Cuffe, Paul, American, 1759 - 1817
- Date
- December 19, 1780
- On ViewConcourse 3, C3 053
- Exhibition
- Slavery and Freedom
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 8 1/2 × 8 in. (21.6 × 20.3 cm)
- Caption
- Paul Cuffe was born a free man in Massachusetts. His mother was Native American and his father was of West African Ashanti lineage. An entrepreneur and philanthropist, Cuffe gained wealth as owner of an international shipping company. Despite his success, as an African American he was viewed as a second-class citizen and denied equal rights. As a taxpayer, Paul Cuffe petitioned the Massachusetts legislature in 1780 and demanded his right to vote. Free and enslaved African Americans petitioned for freedom, equality, and justice through the courts and state legislatures. They sought to assert their rights, promote their identity as citizens of the new nation, and challenge their status as enslaved people.
- Source: Nancy Bercaw, Curator, Slavery and Freedom
- Description
- A petition to the court of Bristol County, Massachusetts, in Taunton written by an unidentified hand and signed by John Cuffe and Paul Cuffe. The text is handwritten in black ink on the front and back sides of the same sheet of paper. The petition is in regards to taxation by the state upon the signatories, who are of Indian descent and are arguing they are therefore not subject to such taxation.
- Transcription Center Status
- Transcribed by digital volunteers
- Place made
- Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Documents and Published Materials-Business and Legal Documents
- Type
- petitions
- Topic
- Free communities of color
- Government
- Justice
- Law
- Resistance
- Suffrage
- U.S. History, Revolution, 1775-1783
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2009.26.1
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public Domain
-
CC0
Teapot made by Peter Bentzon
- Created by
- Bentzon, Peter, American, ca. 1783 - after 1850
- Date
- ca. 1817-1829
- On ViewConcourse 3, C3 053
- Exhibition
- Slavery and Freedom
- Medium
- silver and wood
- Dimensions
- H x W: 7 x 12 x 5 in. (17.8 x 30.5 x 12.7 cm)
- Description
- The silver teapot has an oval vase-shape on a spreading pedestal foot, with curved spout capped by an incised patera and wooden leaf-capped scroll handle, and hinged domed cover with acorn finial. The scripted monogram "MC" has been engraved on the side and the name "Rebecca Dawson" has been engraved along the bottom rim.
- Place made
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
- Cultural Place
- Virgin Islands of the United States, United States, Caribbean, North and Central America
- Classification
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
- Type
- teapots
- Topic
- African diaspora
- Craftsmanship
- Free communities of color
- Ornamentation
- U.S. History, 1815-1861
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2010.14
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
-
CC0
Membership certificate to the American Colonization Society
- Issued by
- American Colonization Society, American, 1816 - 1964
- Received by
- Cresson, Sarah Emlen, American
- Signed by
- Madison, James, American, 1751 - 1836
- Gurley, Ralph Randolph, American, 1797 - 1872
- Cresson, Elliott, American, 1797 - 1854
- Date
- February 22, 1832
- On ViewConcourse 3, C3 053
- Exhibition
- Slavery and Freedom
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Dimensions
- H x W: 9 x 11 3/8 in. (22.9 x 28.9 cm)
- Description
- A membership certificate to the American Colonization Society for Sarah Emlen Cresson signed by James Madison as the president of the society on February 22, 1832. The certificate has pre-printed text with spaces for filling in the date and member name by hand. At the center top of the certificate is a bundle of dark clouds with a half-circle of sun rays bursting from it. At the center bottom is a seal that shows a ship following a bird across the ocean to Liberia with text in the outer rim reading "LUX IN TENEBRIS / AM: COL: SOC: A.D. 1816." The seal is surrounded by various types of foliage. The certificate is signed in the bottom left corner by "R.R. Gurley, Secretary" and in the bottom right corner by "James Madison Presed't" inside the lined border of the certificate, and in the bottom left corner outside the border "Attest / Elliott Cresson / 1 mo 8. 1834". The reverse is blank.
- Place made
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place depicted
- Liberia, West Africa, Africa
- Classification
- Documents and Published Materials
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Movement
- Colonization movement
- Type
- membership cards
- Topic
- Emancipation
- Free communities of color
- International affairs
- Local and regional
- Race relations
- U.S. History, 1815-1861
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2010.77.9
- Restrictions & Rights
- Public domain
-
African Correspondence
- Written by
- Allen, William, British, 1770 - 1843
- Manufactured by
- Williams, John, British
- Subject of
- Cuffe, Paul, American, 1759 - 1817
- The African Institution, British, 1807 - 1827
- Kizell, John, Sierra Leonean
- Friendly Society of Sierra Leone, founded 1811
- Warren, Henry, Sierra Leonean
- Wise, James, Sierra Leonean
- Gabbidon, Stephen, Sierra Leonean
- Date
- 1811-1815
- Medium
- ink on paper, leather
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 12 11/16 × 8 1/2 × 1 1/4 in. (32.2 × 21.6 × 3.1 cm)
- Title
- Correspondence ledger owned by William Allen
- Description
- A leather-bound ledger entitled, “African Correspondence” owned by William Allen. The ledger contains handwritten copies of letter written and received by Allen as well as other documents copied by Allen. The leather is in poor condition, with the spine almost completely detached and very fragmentary. The cover has numerous areas of loss and damage. There is a dark red label at the top of the spine with the volume’s title. The pastedown pages are blue marbled paper. On the front pastedown page there is a name plate with the text, “John Williams / Patent Acco’ Book Manufacturer & / Stationer / Royal Family Public Offices [illegible] / 20 Cornhill London.” There is also a modern barcode affixed to the bottom left corner that reads “002789.” The book has tabbed pages, labeled A-Z and printed in alternating red and black ink. Inside, the book is filled with black handwritten script on 225 pages made up of copies of separate documents. Approximately half of the pages in the book are unused.
- A partial list of the correspondence and documents copied in the ledger are as follows:
- 1. William Allen to John Kizell, Aug. 29, 1811
- 2. Kizell to Allen, Feb. 19, 1812
- 3. Friendly Society (Henry Warren/Pres. and James Wise/Clerk) to Allen, Feb 4, 1812
- 4. Allen to Kizell, April 4, 1812
- 5. Allen to Friendly Society, April 30, 1812
- 6. Friendly Society (Warren & Wise) to Allen, May 3, 1812
- 7. Friendly Society (Warren) to Allen, July 30, 1812
- 8. Kizell to Allen, July, 30 1812
- 9. Allen to Kizell , Oct., 30 1812
- 10. Allen to Friendly Society, Oct., 30 1812
- 11. Paul Cuffee to Allen, June 17, 1812
- 12. Cuffee to Allen, June 1812
- 13. Allen & Thomas Clarkson to Cuffee, July 1812
- 14. Allen to Cuffee, Oct. 29, 1812
- 15. Resolution of the Directors of the African Institution, Aug. 27, 1811
- 16. Resolution of the Directors of the African Institution, June 16, 1812
- 17. Allen to Kizell, Jan. 29, 1813
- 18. Allen to Warren, Jan. 24, 1813
- 19. Wise to Warren, March 1813
- 20. Kizell to Allen, March 21, 1813
- 21. List of slaves auctioned by William Draper, March 10, 1813
- 22. Rules & Regulations of the Friendly Society of Sierra Leone
- 23. Warren to Allen, March 12, 1813
- 24. Kizell to Allen, June 3, 1813
- 25. Friendly Society (Warren) to Allen, June 20, 1813
- 26. Kizell to Clarkson, May 1813
- 27. Allen to Warren, Aug 15, 1813
- 28. Friendly Society (James Reed/VP) to Allen, Nov. 10, 1813
- 29. Cuffee to Allen, Aug. 11, 1813
- 30. Cuffee to Allen, Sept. 28, 1813
- 31. Allen to Friendly Society, May 25, 1814
- 32. Allen to Kizell, May 27, 1814
- 33. Allen to Wise, May 28, 1814
- 34. Friendly Society to Allen, 4 Feb. 4, 1814
- 35. Kizell to Allen, Feb. 14, 1814
- 36. Wise to Allen, April 5, 1814
- 37. Kizell to Allen, April 1814
- 38. Duncan Campbell to Allen, March 1814
- 39. Stephen Gabbidon to Allen, June 12, 1814
- 40. Gabbidon and Tharpe to Allen, June 20, 1814
- 41. Wise to Allen, July 3, 1814
- 42. Friendly Society (Wise) to Allen, July 3, 1814
- Place made
- London, England, Europe
- Place used
- London, England, Europe
- Cultural Place
- Sierra Leone, West Africa, Africa
- Classification
- Slavery and Freedom Objects
- Documents and Published Materials-Business and Legal Documents
- Movement
- Anti-slavery movements
- Colonization movement
- Topic
- Africa
- Antislavery
- Correspondence
- Free communities of color
- Social reform
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of GSK
- Object number
- 2017.45
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions