Slavery and its Legacies: Sites of Oppression
Tour Description
Black Americans in Charleston, and the country as a whole, have struggled against the chains of oppression that stretch back to the beginning of enslavement. Even after emancipation, Black Charlestonians have been subject to the violence of racial terrorism, the vehement resistance to integration, and the governmental neglect of Black communities from the nineteenth through the twenty-first centuries. The sites of this tour tell some, but certainly not all, of these stories.
This tour was developed in collaboration with the Center for the Study of Slavery in Charleston. In Spring 2020, graduate students in Dr. Rachel Donaldson’s History 590 crafted 5 thematic tours focusing on the history of slavery and its enduring legacies in the city of Charleston. Using the College of Charleston as the center, the tours move outward from the campus in a radius of eight blocks or less to the north, south, east, and west to sites that reveal stories of community endurance, resistance, fellowship, and agency. While we emphasized sites and structures that remain visible in the built environment, we also uncovered the stories of sites that have been lost over time. Our work, as we see it, is part of current efforts to uncover, document, and interpret the history and legacy of slavery on the cultural landscape.
Locations for Tour
Martindale-Bell House, 2 Green Way
Marion Square and the “The 1869 Baseball Riot”, 329 Meeting Street
Francis Marion Hotel, 387 King Street
Charleston “Race Riot” of 1919, 305 King Street
Buist Elementary School, 103 Calhoun Street
Charleston Work House and "Sugar House"
Cabbage Row, 89-91 Church Street
St. Michael’s Church, 80 Meeting Street
Post & Courier Office, 134 Columbus Street
Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, 122 East Bay Street
Tour Postscript
This project would not be possible without the support of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), Center for the Study of Slavery in Charleston, Special Collections, Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, the Marketing and Communications Department at the College of Charleston and the research efforts of the graduate students in the History Department250th Anniversary Hist Doc Committee (Harlan, Julia, Ron)
Website Curator: Grayson Harris