12 10 134 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/9b907a31a383b1fcf85ff2275c69d3cb.jpg ee68d658b77170a5cfabbde88db2af56 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 72 in. (182.88 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Bench by the Road (Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History Enslaved persons Middle Passage Slavery--South Carolina South Carolina--Sullivan’s Island Transatlantic slave trade Subject (Name) Morrison, Toni, 1931-2019 Subject (Object) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The Toni Morrison Society launched the Benches by the Road project on February 18, 2006, in honor of Toni Morrison’s 75th birthday. On July 28, 2008, the Toni Morrison Society dedicated the first Bench by the Road on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, as part of their memorial history and community outreach initiative to honor the lives of enslaved Africans. The bench is made of black steel and features a sturdy frame with curved elements along the slatted backrest and seat. A small bronze plaque is mounted at the center of the backrest, displaying the site’s name, the sponsoring organization, and the installation date. Nearby, a bronze marker embedded in the pavement includes a quotation from Morrison, and a description of the project. Since 2008, the Society have installed 32 benches throughout the United States, one in Martinique, and another in France. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Toni Morrison Society Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ronc-photography/7759485844/in/photolist-cQG3kw-9Sffcv-cPFoNG-cPFpp5-74tQZH-74xKqU-6pgxJY-6pcpak-74tQWc-2hoavZi-6pgwNS-6pcoPZ-6pcpy4-cPhJ6A-cPjBE5-4gvb6F-WMKEh4-WMKDQ2-cQG3zQ-WMKE8B-WMKE12-2ho8Hgs-74xKkG-6pcpj6-74tQQZ-2hoaBrR-74xKjw-9SfeX2-9SfeGv-9S4qTu-2ho8NoX-74tR5K-74yJoU-6pcpFi-cSENK5-74tQGP-2hoawum-2ho8KVL-2ho8JKV-6pcpHF-2ho8JuQ-7DkPhs-6pcpKk-74tRhV-74tRcH-2iuRveD-74tR8Z-2iuU2VN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron Cogswell, Flickr, CC BY 2.0</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 28, 2008 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Toni Morrison Society; National Park Service Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Toni Morrison Society, Inc., P.O. Box 54346, Atlanta, 30308, Georgia, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Fort Moultrie Visitor Center, 1214 Middle Street, Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, 29482-9717, United States Has Version A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource. The thirty-four benches are in the following locations in order of installation: Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina (July 26, 2008); Site on the Underground Railroad in Oberlin, Ohio (April 23, 2009); Mississippi Freedom School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi (October 9, 2009); Paris, France (November 6, 2010); Caesar Robbins House in Concord, Massachusetts (May 21, 2011); George Washington University in Washington, D.C. (September 21, 2011); First Congregational Church in Atlanta, Georgia (May 27, 2012); Mitchellville Freedom Park in Hilton Head, South Carolina (April 16, 2016); Walden Woods in Lincoln, Massachusetts (May 22, 2013); Fort-de France, Martinique (June 26, 2013); Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania (April 24, 2014); Margaret Walker Center in Jackson, Mississippi (April 10, 2015); Middleton, Delaware (April 17, 2015); Middleton, Delaware (April 17, 2015); Nyack, New York (May 18, 2015); Hosana AUMP Church in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania (September 18, 2015); Baton Rouge, Louisiana (February 6, 2016); Woodruff Library at Atlanta University Center in Atlanta, Georgia (February 28, 2016); Cozad-Bates House in Cleveland, Ohio (April 24, 2016); Schomburg Library in Harlem, New York (July 24, 2016); Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. (April 28, 2017); Adrian, Michigan (October 20, 2017); Southview Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia (April 7, 2018); Home of Frederick Douglass in New Bedford, Massachusetts (September 16, 2018); Howard University in Washington, D.C. (April 5, 2019); Lincoln University in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania (November 14, 2019); Cartersville Train Depot in Cartersville, Georgia (October 10, 2020); Tulsa, Oklahoma (April 17, 2020); Mabel Little Heritage House in Tulsa, Oklahoma (April 17, 2020); Old 8th Ward in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (April 27, 2021); Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma (July 29, 2021); Prudence Crandall Museum in Canterbury Connecticut (September 19, 2021); A&M University in Prairie View, Texas (March 19, 2024); and, Marietta, Georgia (June 19, 2024). Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Black steel Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Toni Morrison Society. “The Official Website of the Toni Morrison Society | Bench by the Road.” Accessed November 18, 2024. https://www.tonimorrisonsociety.org/bench.html. Lee, Felicia R. “Toni Morrison’s on Sullivan’s Island: A Bench of Memory at Slavery’s Gateway.” The New York Times, July 29, 2008. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/28/arts/design/28benc.html?st=cse&oref=slogin&scp=2&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 72 in. (182.88 cm) Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on the naming plate of first bench in South Carolina: A BENCH BY THE ROAD Placed by the Toni Morrison Society Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina July 26, 2008 Inscription on a plaque near the monument contextualizing the project: A BENCH BY THE ROAD There is no place you or I can go, to think about or not think about, to summon the presences of, or recollect the absences of slaves; nothing that reminds me of the ones who made the journey and of those who did not make it. There is no suitable memorial or plaque or wreath or well or park or skyscraper lobby. There’s no 300-foot tower. There’s no small bench by the road. Toni Morrison 1989 The bench by the Road Project was launched by the Toni Morrison Society in honor of Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison. The first bench is placed in memory of the enslaved Africans who perished during the Middle Passage and those who arrived on Sullivan’s Island, a major point of entry for Africans who entered the U.S. during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Nearly half of all African Americans have ancestors who passed through Sullivan’s Island. July 26, 2008 Toni Morrison Society, Inc. bench inscription https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/79d9392eef3adff22ced0e36fec19835.jpg 34d864584fc8cf8f1890c19c0d2aa3a9 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource United States Colored Troops (USCT) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource Included in this thematic collection are seventeen memorials that honor the vital contributions of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) to the Union victory during the American Civil War. The first all-Black units formed unofficially in Louisiana (Louisiana Native Guard, 1862); South Carolina (First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, 1862-63); and Kansas (First Kansas Colored Infantry, 1862-63). The first official authorization to employ African Americans in federal service was the Second Confiscation and Militia Act of July 17, 1862. The Confiscation Act allowed Union officers to free enslaved men and put them to work as army laborers. However, Abraham Lincoln did not fully authorize the use of Black men in combat until the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Beginning in late January 1863, Governor John A. Andrews of Massachusetts raised the first regiment of Black soldiers in the North, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. The abolitionist Frederick Douglass helped recruit men for the Massachusetts 54th, famously issuing a call to free African American men to join the Union Army. In a speech, “Men of Color, To Arms!”, delivered in Rochester, New York on March 2, 1863, Douglass urged his fellow free men of color to fight for the end of slavery and for their freedom: "By every consideration which binds you to your enslaved fellow-countrymen, and the peace and welfare of your country; by every aspiration which you cherish for the freedom and equality of yourselves and your children; by all the ties of blood and identity which make us one with the brave black men now fighting our battles in Louisiana and in South Carolina, I urge you to fly to arms, and smite with death the power that would bury the government and your liberty in the same hopeless grave." On May 22, 1863, the U.S. War Department issued General Order No. 143, authorizing the creation of the Bureau of Colored Troops. By the end of the Civil War, over 200,000 men, including white officers, served in 175 regiments of the USCT, which made up ten percent of the Union army. The compiled military records of the men who served in the USCT can be found in the National Archives and Records Administration. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Forgotten Soldier Memorial (Key West, Florida) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History Florida--Key West Public art Public sculpture United States Colored Troops Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The bronze sculpture depicts a uniformed USCT soldier holding a rifled musket in his left hand, while his right arm is outstretched over his head. He wears a standard Union military uniform, including a forage cap; a collared button-down coat; a wide belt with a U. S. brass buckle and a leather cap box attached to the belt; trousers; and boots. The memorial sits in the Key West Veterans Memorial Garden in Bayview Park. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 16, 2016 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Edward Knight Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Key West Veterans Memorial Garden, Bayview Park, José Martí Drive and Truman Drive, Key West, Florida, 33040, United States Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Bronze plaque on base: In January of 1863, Col. James Montgomery of Kansas was authorized to raise regiments of troops consisting entirely of free blacks and former refugee slaves. The following month, he arrived in Key West to recruit men for that regiment. All Africans between the ages of 15 and 50 not in the services were ordered to report for medical examination and, if capable of bearing arms, to embark on the US Steamer Cosmopolitan for transport to Hilton Head to serve in the 2nd South Carolina Regiment. Some of these men returned to Key West after the war and started families. Several more were injured. At least 18 of them paid the ultimate price. These men served with great distinction, but their names were lost to time. This monument honors their courage, their actions, and their sacrifice, but most importantly, stands to make sure these men are never forgotten again. Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; concrete Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. City of Key West. "Forgotten Soldier Sculpture Unveiled In Key West, February 16, 2016." YouTube. Accessed February 15, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvbte6dNCAM. Alan Skerrett, Jr, ed. "Monuments to the United States Colored Troops (USCT) [African American Civil War Soldiers: The List." Jubilo! The Emancipation Century Blog, May 30, 2011. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://jubiloemancipationcentury.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/monuments-to-the-united-states-colored-troops-usct-the-list/. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://key-west-veterans-memorial-garden-at-bayview-park.wheree.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wheree</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource City of Key West, 1300 White Street, Key West, Florida, 33040, United States bronze Civil War figurative https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/951ece6f02e080e45df0fb538940f529.jpg c182a12d25cf93fdd853322c4d2f5169 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Black Abolitionists: Tubman, Douglass, Truth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this collection commemorate the extraordinary achievements of three U.S. Black abolitionist and freedom seekers: Harriet Tubman, née Araminta Ross, (c. 1822-1913); Frederick Douglass (c. 1818-1895); and Sojourner Truth (1797-1883). Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. During the next ten years, she made approximately thirteen trips into Maryland to rescue other enslaved family members and friends. She provided instructions for escape to about 70 more enslaved people who were able to self-emancipate. During the Civil War, she served the United States Army as a spy, scout, nurse and cook. As one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, the monuments in this section often depict Tubman leading groups of freedom seekers on their journey northwards to freedom, such as Mario Chiodo’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom</a>. In other works, such as Alison Saar’s <a href="https://www.harriettubmanmonuments.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swing Low</a>, Tubman is depicted alone, facing southward as she makes the perilous journey back to Maryland to free more enslaved people. One of the most brilliant orators of his generation, Frederick Douglass worked ceaselessly for the cause of abolition. Among his many achievements, Douglass became one of the early and important critical theorists of photography, a medium invented in 1839. In a series of lectures delivered between 1861-1865, Douglass argued that photography had the power to shape people’s understandings of race and as such could be deployed to resist distorted representations of African Americans. Douglass, who was exceptionally aware of the power of his own image, sat for a number of portraits over several decades, circulating his image widely. His photographic portraits serve as the basis for a number of the works in this collection, including Ivan Schwartz’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frederick Douglass</a>, created for the New York Historical Society. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in Swartekill, New York. She emancipated herself, escaping to freedom in 1826. During her 30-year career, she became a formidable force in several 19th-century reform movements, linking the struggles for Black freedom with women’s suffrage. Truth capitalized on both the affecting power of photography and its reproducibility to support her activism. She created carte-de-visite portraits of herself, which she copyrighted, adding the caption “I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance. Sojourner Truth.” As Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby explores in her book Enduring Truths: Sojourner’s Shadows and Substance (2015), Truth “made her photographic portrait worth money in order to end slavery—and also became the strategic author of her public self.” Commemorative works such as the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1b9f9d28475430765059a059a43787b2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sojourner Truth Memorial</a> in Florence, Massachusetts, are based on the photographic portrait that Truth so carefully created and circulated. Updated January 26, 2026 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Harriet Tubman Monument (Beaufort, South Carolina) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Antislavery movements--United States Freedom Public art Public sculpture  South Carolina--Beaufort Slavery--South Carolina United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 United States Colored Troops Subject (Name) Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The monument depicts Harriet Tubman, co-leader of the military operation now known as the Combahee River Raid (also called the Combahee Ferry Raid), which took place in South Carolina on June 1, 1863. During the raid, more than 700 enslaved people liberated themselves using riverboats under Tubman’s command. Harriet Tubman stands as a central figure atop a large pedestal, her right hand grasping a walking stick and her left hand extended backward toward the people. She wears a head wrap, a shawl tied at the waist, and a long, pleated skirt. Tubman is flanked by bas-relief wings that depict two Union soldiers and fifteen people seeking freedom. The Union soldiers, positioned on either side, stand in uniform with rifles held upright, their butts resting on the ground. The people seeking freedom—eight on one side and seven on the other—emerge from the textured bronze and are shown walking. Some carry bundles of belongings at their sides or on their heads; others hold the hands of children. A relief of a nineteenth-century steamboat and plaques with inscriptions are located on the front of the monument. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Dwight, Ed, 1933- Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 1, 2024 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Tabernacle Baptist Church (owner and funder); Private donations Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Tabernacle Baptist Church, 901 Craven Street, Beaufort, South Carolina, 29902, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Tabernacle Baptist Church, 907 Craven St, Beaufort, South Carolina, 29902, United States Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Makin, Ken. “A Civil War Hero Got a New Statue. Her Name Is Harriet Tubman.” The Christian Science Monitor, June 14, 2024. Accessed August 21, 2024. https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Arts/2024/0613/civil-war-statue-harriet-tubman-ed-dwight." Nelson, Kara. “Harriet Tubman Led a Raid That Freed More Than 700 Enslaved People. A South Carolina Church Has Built a Statue in Her Honor.” CNN, June 18, 2024. Accessed August 21, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/18/us/tubman-combahee-river-south-carolina-reaj/index.html. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 168 in. (426.72 cm) Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on a plaque on the front of the base: HARRIET TUBMAN CO-LEADER OF THE RAID AT COMBAHEE RIVER June 1, 1863 Inscription on a plaque below the previous plaque on the front of the base: ED DWIGHT Sculptor Text on a plaque near the monument: Boston Commonwealth - Boston July 10, 1863 HARRIET TUBMAN Col. Montgomery and his gallant band of 300 black soldiers, under the guidance of a black woman, dashed into the enemy's country, struck a bold and effective blow, destroying millions of dollars worth of commissary stores, cotton and lordly dwellings, and striking terror to the heart of rebeldom, brought off near 800 slaves and thousands of dollars worth of property, without losing a man or receiving a scratch! It was a glorious consummation. After they were fairly disposed of in the Beaufort church, they were addressed in strains of thrilling eloquence by their gallant deliverer; to which they responded in a song. "There is a white robe for thee." A song so appropriate and so heartfelt and cordial as to bring unbidden tears. The colonel was followed by a speech from the black woman who led the raid, and under whose inspiration it was originated and conducted. For sound sense and real native eloquence, her address would do honor to any man, and it created a great sensation. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Arts/2024/0613/civil-war-statue-harriet-tubman-ed-dwight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ken Makin</a>, Christian Science Monitor bas-relief bronze Civil War figurative portrait https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/2fb45a4dc4bf9e2f72fa32f1f6671afe.jpg fa2fbc2367e5dc1c0cb85b9eb4aeb8a8 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/d78ea280aa57d9483d297e340fbf2d18.jpg 3ce29e611b7f899c2122af635cd94afb https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/a74ac4e480dc7aa31a25b3f3daf302cb.jpg 974764c396fc8a43bb039c3e0c25e349 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/e0db94133a77b00d1f1b265ef4fc077e.jpg e1efef2ce6421ef0f142487f3e2ab24e https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/b8521d117e486a4fe222f844834d2f35.jpg cac98c0b79b1dc6a667c9a702493a945 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/37f33db4d6374401ddd6d3d2a722b819.jpg 88b279e1cad466be1883c299178974e7 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/3245c65cd5893d3de984d89a9dda55ed.jpg 6b648c5a4fdd13be74e1655c64ffcaad https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/f0557c184a54ce6987aedc082bd64e36.jpg f3d9a258a971a20bccf03cdec3c5585f https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/5b68428b4495e7c8e2cf32b9848d655b.jpg 972c74e428a5a0b9c5754fba38d10507 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/174da4116b7a5f3aea2c85b1aaba2f54.jpg f9b691763f693259e58ee14750afc172 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/3dc60b545d7e7b5944bb848ba99a9785.jpg 41b5ad0c1e8b7cb0fadab18ed024d17b https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/4bcc0a84efd1a34820b0c72a0fc39fed.jpg 35f791729be30ca5c1640bc5c231915a https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/028c3c0a4edcb734546d6450550f1981.jpg d5e17943fce54080c88948e6d493aed8 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/b88c155bb0ac95cceb1c7ad4a9e224ba.jpg c1a7d9c310813414cbbb2604d3455dfa https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/7da5403e027977e6d2e11abb964397f6.jpg 117bce96b0b3a9bcd621b3dff5bf92f6 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/2396f8b4b101ff0a40ffcbcec859443e.jpg 83933aa4ac9f195de004e4ce9ea830a1 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Burial Grounds Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource This collection is just a fraction of the burial grounds dedicated to enslaved persons, "contrabands," and freed persons. Many of these cemeteries and memorial parks have suffered greatly over the years--some have been desecrated and destroyed while others have been long ignored and fallen into disrepair. The monuments and memorials in this collection are part of local efforts to restore and recognize the importance of black life in death, including the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1130" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Freedman's Cemetery Memorial</a> in Dallas, Texas; <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1136" target="_blank" rel="noopener">African Burial Ground National Memorial </a>in New York City; <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1128" target="_blank" rel="noopener">African Burying Ground Memorial</a> in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery Memorial</a> in Alexandria, Virginia. As of 2026, the Black Cemetery Network (blackcemeterynetwork.org) has documented 201 Black cemeteries in New England, the Middle Atlantic, the South, and the Midwest. Some of these cemeteries are dedicated to enslaved persons such as the Enslaved Cemetery in Mahwah, New Jersey; Betton Hills Plantation Cemetery in Tallahassee, Florida; and the Enslaved Burial Ground in Old Round Rock Cemetery in Round Rock, Texas. In 2022, the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program authorized the National Park Service to administer an annual grant program to assist in the preservation of historic Black burial grounds. See Congress.gov. "Text - H.R.6805 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Act." April 28, 2022. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6805/text. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 216 in. (548.64 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Path of Thorns and Roses and The Place of Remembrance: Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery Memorial (Alexandria, Virginia) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) African Americans--History African American cemeteries Enslaved persons--Emancipation Fugitive slaves Public art Public sculpture Slavery--Virginia Virginia--Alexandria Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The Path of Thorns and Roses is an eighteen-foot-high sculpture that spirals upwards and includes six allegorical figures: Oppression (a semi-nude male figure), Struggle (a semi-nude male figure at the base of the sculpture), Sacrifice (a woman who grasps the limp body of a child), Loss (a woman enfolded onto herself), and Compassion (a woman holding a baby and reaching towards Loss). Hope, a man with a bald head, stands on his toes within a large circle of thorns. The figure of Hope holds an unbloomed rose in his outstretched hands. Alongside the statue is a four-walled structure, “The Place of Remembrance,” the includes the names of individuals interred at the site as well as historical information on African Americans in Alexandria during the Civil War. Limestone blocks mark individual graves. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Chiodo, Mario, 1961- (sculpture) Blake, Joanna Campbell, 1977-2016 (bas-reliefs) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photographs by Renée Ater Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 6, 2014 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource C. J. Howard, RA (original design); AECOM (formerly EDAW); Howard + Revis Design; City of Alexandria; Friends of Freedmen's Cemetery; Alexandria Commission for the Arts; and Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier, Maryland (models for bas-reliefs) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource City of Alexandria, Alexandria City Hall, 301 King Street, Alexandria, Virginia, 22314, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Extent The size or duration of the resource. 216 in. (548.64 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; Granite; Red sandstone Date Created Date of creation of the resource. Design Competition: 2008 Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. City of Alexandria, Virginia. “Contrabands & Freedmen Cemetery Memorial." Accessed March 21, 2018. https://www.alexandriava.gov/FreedmenMemorial. “Forgotten Cemetery for Freed Slaves Rediscovered.” CBS Evening News, September 10, 2014. Accessed March 21, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pK4e8daKPc. Ater, Renée. "The Memory of Slavery in the Urban Landscape of Alexandria Virginia." In Traces and Memories of Slavery in the Atlantic World, eds. Lawrence Ajé and Nicolas Gachon, 215-232. Routledge, 2020. Hope, Eric. "Gone But Not Forgotten: The Legacy of Joanna Campbell Black." East City Art, June 6, 2016. Accessed February 23, 2026. https://www.eastcityart.com/profiles/gone-not-forgotten-legacy-joanna-campbell-blake/. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1001 S. Washington Street, Alexandria, Virginia, 22314, United States Alternative Title An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific. Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery Memorial Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Bronze plaque on base of sculpture: The Path of Thorns and Roses. Created and sculpted by Mario Chido, 2013. Public art owned by the City of Alexandria, Virginia. Cast by Mussi Artworks Foundry, California. Engraving on base of sculpture: “I am thankful there is a beginning. I am full of hope for tomorrow. A Power mightier than man is guiding this revolution; and though justice moves slowly, it will come at last. The American people will outlive this mean prejudice against complexion.” —Harriet Jacobs, freedwoman, author, educator and dedicated aid worker in Alexandria during the Civil War Inset brick with bronze lettering on plaza: 1955 Gas Station. Under this plaza is the concrete floor of a gas station, the construction of which desecrated many graves. The flooring was kept in place to protect the graves that remain below. Text from Wall One of "The Place of Remembrance": Welcome to Contrabands and Freemen Cemetery Memorial During the Civil War, Alexandria’s population swelled with more than 20,000 enslaved African Americans fleeing Confederate territory for safety behind Union lines. Initially called Contrabands because they were considered “property” taken during wartime, they would later be called Freedmen. The new arrivals joined Alexandria’s free and enslaved African Americans, hoping to find jobs, homes, educational opportunities, and lost family. They also found deplorable living conditions and a raging smallpox epidemic. Many people died just as freedom came within reach. The federal government established a cemetery for the dead here in 1864. A formal record documents the burials for 1,711 individuals through January 1869 when the government abandoned the cemetery. The community of Freedmen was left the task of maintenance, and may have continued using the burial ground well after it closed. Over time, its wooden grave markers deteriorated, and the cemetery suffered many desecrations. An adjacent brick manufactory excavated clay, exposing bones and coffins. The paving of Washington Street covered and disturbed graves and the development of a gas station, the Beltway, and an office building destroyed hundreds more. Locations of many of the surviving graves remain unidentified but more than 540 have been found by archaeologists and given markers. Though individuals can no longer be linked to burial plots, the names of those buried in this cemetery survive. They are inscribed here, along with ages, dates, and places of death, and notes left by the record-keeper. Today, visitors to the cemetery memorial join descendants of the Contrabands and Freedman in honoring the memorial of these freedom seekers. Individuals for whom living descendants have been identified are noted with this marker. [The following text appears above the bronze plaques with the names of those buried at the site.] In Alexandria’s first known civil rights protest,… members of the United States Colored Troops signed a petition requesting that black soldiers be buried alongside their white comrades in arms at the nearby military cemetery. Some Authors fought their request and, in one instance, the caisson of a USCT soldier en route to the military cemetery was forcibly re-routed to his cemetery. Still, the soldiers won their battle, and in January 1865, caskets of over a hundred USCT soldiers were disinterred from this burial ground and moved to Alexandria’s National Cemetery where they are recognized by stone markers today. Their names are listed below. Text from Wall Two of "The Place of Remembrance": [The following text appears below an 1865 grid street plan of Alexandria] The City  The Freedom seekers who arrived in Alexandria joined a large existing community of African Americans, including many free and enslaved individuals. These residents, new and old, helped to shape the city, establishing neighborhoods, and founding churches and schools. They also went to work on the railroads, at the wharves, in factories and small businesses, at hospitals and army encampments, and in their homes. Freedmen’s Cemetery This burial ground for African Americans was established by the federal government on the outskirts of town, on land owned by Francis Smith, Robert E. Lee’s attorney. Soldiers Cemetery Injured soldiers of the US Colored Troops convalescing at L’Ouverture Hospital successfully petitioned for the right to a burial alongside their white comrades at this military cemetery. Slave Jail and L’Ouverture Hospital The Price Birch and Co. slave jail at 1315 Duke Street was once the last stop for thousands of slaves sold south to a life of extreme hardship. The Union army commandeered the property as a jail. In 1804, a hospital was built nearby that treated African American soldiers and civilians for diseases like tuberculosis and typhoid, Shiloh Baptist Church congregation formed here. Contraband Barracks and School Some Freedmen found housing in crowded barracks like those on Prince Street. Despite the difficult conditions. Freedmen attended a school established at the barracks. African American Schools Deprived of an education by slavery, Contraband and Freedmen seized the opportunity to learn. Adults and children alike filled Contraband schools across the city learning for the first time to read and write. African American Neighborhoods While some of those arriving in Alexandria settled into established free black neighborhoods such as Hayti and the Bottoms, most camped out in deserted buildings or on marginal land, often constructing their own huts and shacks. These crowded settlements eventually became new African American neighborhoods such as Cross-Canal, Petersburg, and Grantville. African American Churches Places of gathering, faith, aid, and activism, Alexandria’s black churches were critical to the Contraband and Freedmen community. Many of Alexandria’s present-day congregations began meeting during the war. Railroads Alexandria’s strategic location where railroads met waterways made it a center of supply for the Union army. Rails also transported soldiers to the front and brought back the wounded to Alexandria’s hospital. Many Freedmen became railroad workers helping to keep goods and personnel moving. Wharves Many Contrabands and Freemen worked on the waterfront, processing, loading, and unloading goods coming in on ships and by rail. These laborers kept a steady stream of food and supplies flowing to the Union army. [The following text appears below a bas-relief of enslaved people escaping bondage] Fleeing slavery for sanctuary and freedom in Alexandria When Virginia seceded in May of 1861, Union troops occupied Alexandria and turned the port town into a staging area and base for operation. It also became a beacon for freedom seekers who took the opportunity war provided to escape enslavement. Thousands of fleeing African Americans made the dangerous and difficult journey through Confederate territory, often traveling on foot, some coming from hundreds of miles away. They arrived in Alexandria hungry, tired, and with few resources, and began searching our food, clothing shelter, medical treatment, and education. [The following quote appears to the right of the bas-relief.] “I traveled 65 miles and we had 52 on our number before, we crost, the river…we tought, we wold, be taken eny moment, the babys cried, and we could whear, the sound of them. On the warter. We lay all night in the woods, and next day we traveled on and we reached, Suffolk that night and we lost twenty one of the Number.” —Emma Bynum, a freedwoman describing her flights to freedmen in a composition for her schoolteacher, Miss Lucy Chase Text from Wall Three of "The Place of Remembrance": [The following text appears below a bas-relief of a school teacher surrounded by her students.] Learning to read at an Alexandria freedmen’s school Overwhelmed by their numbers, Alexandria could offer little aid to the newly arrived Contrabands. Some took up residence in temporary barracks created near the site of a former slave jail. Others found shelter in free black neighborhoods or in abandoned buildings and shanties. Social workers like Julia Wilbur, a white Quaker from New York, and Harriet Jacobs, a black freedwoman, responded to the need by gathering supplies, attending to medical problems, and setting up school and other community services. Despite their efforts, many particularly children, died from exposure or disease. Still, the freed people worked tirelessly to create new lives, and in the process, reshaped the city of Alexandria.” [The following quote appears to the right of the bas-relief.] “Besides the school in the barracks there are our others in the city, which are self-sustaining, one containing one hundred and fifty pupils, It is an astonishing fact, which ought to be placed upon record…that out of the two thousand people collected at Alexandria there are four hundred children sent daily to school. The first demand of these fugitives when they come into this place is that their children may go to school.” —Harriet Jacobs, freedwoman, educator, and aid worker in Alexandria, April 29, 1863 [The following text appears below an aerial map of the cemetery] The Site: The cemetery was established in 1864 and officially closed in 1869. Burials probably continued after this time, even as the wooden grave markers from the Civil War era deteriorated. Over the next century, this site endured many intrusions, and no longer appeared to be a sacred place. This site map identified features uncovered by historical and archaeological research, as well as desecrations, that occurred through the 1990s.” 1) Memorial Fence: Today, a steel fence evokes the wooden picket fence that once encircled the cemetery. The historic boundary is unknown, but likely included additional land that was paved over during the construction of South Washington Street. 2) Carriage Path: Carts carrying the dead entered the cemetery along this route. 3) Grave Shafts: Archaeology has identified more than 540 of the 1,711 burials believed to be present on site. Although no graves or artifacts were disturbed, the study revealed evidence of prior destruction caused by development of the site. 4) American Indian Site: Thousands of stone artifacts were discovered during archaeological investigations, including a 13,000 year old Clovis spear point. These finds suggest that American Indians periodically visited this bluff overlooking Hunting Creek for millennia to manufacture tools for hunting, scraping, hides, and other activities. 5) United States Colored Troops Section: As a result of a successful protest by USCT to be buried with full honors alongside their white comrades, the caskets of USCT were moved from a section of the cemetery to the nearby military cemetery in 1805. 6) Brickyard: Clay excavations may have occurred on the western edge of the cemetery, resulting in the desecration of graves, as noted by an 1892 Washington Post article: Of late the owners have been allowing the neighboring brickyard to dig clay from the outer edges of the graveyard with which to make brick. This digging has resulted in the unearthing of many coffins and skeletons, leaving the outer graves in very bad condition. 7) Gas Station: The current memorial plaza is built atop the floor and foundations of a service station built in 1955. 8) Office Building: The slab of a 1960 office building was covered during the memorial’s construction to protect the graves presumed to be below. A reconstruction portion of the building can still be seen on Church Street. Two stone Markers located the southernmost corners of the building. Text from Wall Four of “The Place of Remembrance”: “I have just witnessed a novel and solemn scene, a funeral in the open air. The deceased, Peter Washington, was an old man, and a slave until the breaking out of the war… After the signing and a prayer, a minister, an early associate of the deceased gave a brief sketch of the life of Peter Washington. He had eight children; in one day he was bereft of his six daughters and five grandchildren. ‘On that day’ said the minister, ‘he leant on me, and with a bursting heart exclaimed, “If it were not my hope in Christ, I could not bear up under this trial.”’ [M]any of his hearers seemed to find an echo to a like experience in their own souls, They swayed their forms, and moaned as if some wound of the past was being dressily probed. No child of his came to bid him a last farewell, they are scattered I know not where: his two sons are in the army battling for the country their father loved inspite of her persecutions to him and his.” —Harriet Jacobs, freedwoman, educator, and aid worker in Alexandria, describing the funeral of Peter Washington, buried here May 32, 1864 Text from grave marker: Many of the African Americans who fled to Alexandria to escape enslavement and those already living here succumbed to disease and deprivation during and shortly after the Civil War. Carts bearing the dead entered the cemetery along a path in this location. Stones mark the locations of more than 540 graves identified by archaeologists and now protected by the memorial. According to historic records, the cemetery once held nearly 1,200 additional graves, many of which were destroyed by buildings and roads. Of the people laid to rest here, over half were children under the age of sixteen. archaeology bronze Civil War figurative granite inscription memorial wall names https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/65af46a67fcc33da4f65e526f8c404d7.jpg 63ce44941fa6937cba8d18c921839e50 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/2bc1f0edc691080db2efb75826851172.jpg 1b52a7b04f990462cca5910ca2c309e7 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/023b2645a39b3328faa258a472ea65d9.jpg 53496cd17ac3427071e32b136f096270 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/9f258fdaebac3184564a33f541cd9923.jpg 53affaea163681af14b2f3eb878a8308 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Slave Memorial (Mount Vernon, Virginia) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Cemeteries--Virginia Enslaved persons George Washington’s Mount Vernon Plantations--Virginia Slavery--Virginia Subject (Object) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource Near the Mount Vernon cemetery for enslaved persons, the memorial consists of three concentric circles acting as steps that are inscribed with the words: “Faith,” “Hope” and “Love.” The steps lead toward the central, gray granite column, which is truncated to suggest “life unfinished.” Inscribed on the surface of the column: “In memory of the Afro Americans who served as slaves at Mount Vernon this monument marking their burial ground.” The commemorative work is located 50 yards southwest of George and Mary Washington’s tomb. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Howard University Architecture Students Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/timevanson/16759857225/in/photostream/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim Evanson, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 21, 1983 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association (MVLA); Black Women United for Action Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway Mount Vernon, Virginia, 22121, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway Mount Vernon, Virginia, 22121, United States Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Granite Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. George Washington’s Mount Vernon. “The Slave Memorial.” Accessed October 9, 2024. https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/slavery/the-slave-memorial-at-mount-vernon. Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on the monument: In memory of the Afro Americans who served as slaves at Mount Vernon. This monument marking their burial ground dedicated September 21, 1983, Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association Inscription on plaque near memorial entrance: Slave Memorial In 1929, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association placed a marker noting the location of the slave cemetery, believed to be the first commemoration of its kind at a historic site. Despite this recognition, the burial ground lay unattended for decades, until a group of citizens began a concerted effort to honor the enslaved people buried here. In 1983, Mount Vernon dedicated a new memorial, which was designed by architecture students at Howard University. It is a lasting tribute to the memory of those individuals who lived and toiled in bondage here. Approaching Slave Memorial Quiet please and remain on gravel path Inscription on Slave Burial Area plaque: Slave Burial Area “Near (George Washington’s) tomb you see the burying place of his slaves containing 150 graves.” Visitor to Mount Vernon 1833 Many African American—free and enslaved—who worked at Mount Vernon from the 1750s into the 19th century are believed to be buried near here, according to early visitor accounts, oral tradition and a circa 1860 map. Among them is William Lee, George Washington’s personal servant during the Revolutionary War, who was granted freedom and an annuity in Washington’s will. West Ford (1784-1863), a freed slave was hired by the Washington family in the 19th century, is also thought to be buried here. The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association sought Ford’s advice in the early restoration of the estate. Today, a memorial stands at the center of the burial area, serving as a testament to the hundreds of slaves who labored on Mount Vernon’s grounds and lay in unmarked graves. 1929 Marker In memory of the many faithful, colored servants of the Washington family buried at Mount Vernon from 1760 to 1860. Their unidentified graves surround this spot. columns granite inscription https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/5c14a352740f5f0171386213ac0e85d3.jpg 187f183b3c31c596341a12f45aa7b759 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Resistance Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this section commemorate the enslaved and free men and women who resisted bondage and worked to end the institution of slavery. In her book, The Slave's Cause: A History of Abolition (2016), historian Manisha Sinha examines the long history of Black resistance to chattel slavery. Resistance to enslavement took many forms—from rebellions aboard slave ships and on plantations to the enslaved slowing the pace of work, breaking tools, feigning illness, and escaping from bondage. The works in this section honor these diverse histories of resistance. The <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1122" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amistad Memorial</a> in New Haven, Connecticut, recognizes Sengbe Pieh, who led a revolt of abducted Africans against their captors on the Spanish slave ship, the Amistad; the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1159" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Three Rebel Queens of the Virgin Islands</a> in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, celebrates the women of the Fireburn Revolt of 1878; and the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1156" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gaspar Yanga</a> statue highlights a seventeenth-century self-emancipated leader of a maroon colony near Veracruz, Mexico. In the near future, we will add more commemorative works from the Caribbean to this theme including monuments and memorials in Antigua, Jamaica, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Three Rebel Queens of the Virgin Islands (Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Public art Public sculpture Resistance St. Thomas (USVI)--Charlotte Amalie Slave insurrections--St. Croix (USVI) Slavery--Denmark Slavery--St. Croix (USVI) Transatlantic slave trade Subject (Name) Thomas, Mary (Queen Mary), ca. 1838–1905 Salomon, Axeline E. (Queen Agnes), ca. 1858-? McBean, Matilda (Queen Matilda), ca. 1958-1935 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The memorial shows three women facing outward, the leaders of the "Fireburn" Uprising in 1878, the largest labor revolt in Danish colonial history. Dressed in floor-length dresses and aprons, each figure carries objects related to their resistance. One figure lifts a lantern in her right hand (Queen Agnes-Agnes Salomon) . The second figure holds a cane knife in her right hand and a torch in her left (Queen Mary-Mary Thomas), while the third figure holds a torch in her right hand (Queen Matilda-Matilda McBean). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hallier, Richard, 1944-2010 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Dronningens Gade, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas 00802, U.S. Virgin Islands Alternative Title An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific. The Three Queens of the Virgin Islands Fountain Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Bronze plaque: THE THREE QUEENS OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS In 1878 three former slave ladies on St. Croix led an insurrection against the Danish Government for improved working and living conditions. During this action, a major portion of Frederiksted was destroyed by fire. This revolt is known today as “FIREBURN” and the ladies are renowned as “Queen Mary, Queen Agnes and Queen Matilda” – The Three Queens of the Virgin Islands. Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Three_Rebel_Queens_of_the_Virgin_Islands.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wikipedia Commons</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005 Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. "Danish Colonies/The Danish West Indies/Fireburn." Nationalmuseet. Accessed January 27, 2026. https://en.natmus.dk/historical-knowledge/historical-themes/danish-colonies/the-danish-west-indies/fireburn/. Fireburn Files Project. Accessed January 27, 2026. https://fireburnfiles.dk/. Virgin Islands Studies Collective (VISC). "Ancestral Queendom: Reflections on the Prison Records of the Rebel Queens of the 1878 Fireburn in St. Croix, USVI (formerly the Danish West Indies." Nordisk Tidsskrift for Informationsvidenskab og Kulturformdling 8, no. 2 (2019): 19-36. Accessed January 27, 2026. https://tidsskrift.dk/ntik/article/view/118478/166419. bronze figurative lantern machete (knife) https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1de4473a723c03e56a7ba5710f3f05ba.jpg 4e9edb22c90a0f3d5975e25c9f70023d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Black Abolitionists: Tubman, Douglass, Truth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this collection commemorate the extraordinary achievements of three U.S. Black abolitionist and freedom seekers: Harriet Tubman, née Araminta Ross, (c. 1822-1913); Frederick Douglass (c. 1818-1895); and Sojourner Truth (1797-1883). Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. During the next ten years, she made approximately thirteen trips into Maryland to rescue other enslaved family members and friends. She provided instructions for escape to about 70 more enslaved people who were able to self-emancipate. During the Civil War, she served the United States Army as a spy, scout, nurse and cook. As one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, the monuments in this section often depict Tubman leading groups of freedom seekers on their journey northwards to freedom, such as Mario Chiodo’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom</a>. In other works, such as Alison Saar’s <a href="https://www.harriettubmanmonuments.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swing Low</a>, Tubman is depicted alone, facing southward as she makes the perilous journey back to Maryland to free more enslaved people. One of the most brilliant orators of his generation, Frederick Douglass worked ceaselessly for the cause of abolition. Among his many achievements, Douglass became one of the early and important critical theorists of photography, a medium invented in 1839. In a series of lectures delivered between 1861-1865, Douglass argued that photography had the power to shape people’s understandings of race and as such could be deployed to resist distorted representations of African Americans. Douglass, who was exceptionally aware of the power of his own image, sat for a number of portraits over several decades, circulating his image widely. His photographic portraits serve as the basis for a number of the works in this collection, including Ivan Schwartz’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frederick Douglass</a>, created for the New York Historical Society. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in Swartekill, New York. She emancipated herself, escaping to freedom in 1826. During her 30-year career, she became a formidable force in several 19th-century reform movements, linking the struggles for Black freedom with women’s suffrage. Truth capitalized on both the affecting power of photography and its reproducibility to support her activism. She created carte-de-visite portraits of herself, which she copyrighted, adding the caption “I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance. Sojourner Truth.” As Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby explores in her book Enduring Truths: Sojourner’s Shadows and Substance (2015), Truth “made her photographic portrait worth money in order to end slavery—and also became the strategic author of her public self.” Commemorative works such as the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1b9f9d28475430765059a059a43787b2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sojourner Truth Memorial</a> in Florence, Massachusetts, are based on the photographic portrait that Truth so carefully created and circulated. Updated January 26, 2026 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 156 in. (396.24 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Traveling Exhibition: Harriet Tubman - The Beacon of Hope (Cape May, New Jersey) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Antislavery movements--United States Enslaved persons--Emancipation Freedom New Jersey--Cape Mary Public art Public sculpture Underground Railroad Subject (Name) Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913 Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource A bronze sculpture of Harriet Tubman stands firmly atop an oxen yoke. She stares into the eyes of the viewer, offering a golden key. Her right hand is raised, encircled by a rose compass—both adorned in gold leaf. Underneath the yoke lie countless chains and shackles, some open, others closed. The base features inscriptions on the front and back, bearing her name and the title of the work. In many of the cities, the monument is accompanied by a plaque featuring a quote by Harriet Tubman and Wesley Wofford’s artist statement. Created in 2023, the monument was designed to travel across the United States. Since then, it has been displayed at the Cape May Point Arts and Science Center in Cape May, New Jersey (2023); the Government Office Building in Salisbury, Maryland (2023-2024); City Hall Plaza in Rahway, New Jersey (2024); the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio (2024); the corner of Central Avenue and North Division Street in Peekskill, New York (2024); and the John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid, New York (2024), with more locations planned in 2024 and beyond. For the sake of clarity, CMSP has decided to document this monument only once, based on the information from its initial showing. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wofford, Wesley, 1972- Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 1, 2023 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wesley Wofford, Wofford Sculpture Studio, P.O. Box 2927, Cashiers, North Carolina 28717, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 101 Lehigh Ave, Cape May Point, New Jersey, 08212, United States Has Version A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource. Wesley Wofford made a permanent version of this monument, bearing the same name. Located in front of the Dorchester County Courthouse in Cambridge, Maryland, the permanent monument includes a figure of young Araminta Ross beside Harriet Tubman. See <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1244" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beacon of Hope: Harriet Tubman Monument</a> in this database. Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Wofford, Wesley. “Harriet Tubman - The Beacon of Hopw - Wofford Sculpture Studio.” Accessed August 13, 2024. https://www.woffordsculpturestudio.com/exhibitions/harriet-tubman-the-beacon-of-hope. "Beacon of Hope Sculpture." Cape May Point Arts and Science Center. https://www.capemaypointsciencecenter.org/beacon-of-hope-sculpture. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 156 in. (396.24 cm) Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on the front of the base: THE BEACON OF HOPE Inscription on the back of the base: HARRIET TUBMAN Beside the monument, a plaque reads: HARRIET TUBMAN - THE BEACON OF HOPE "I WAS THE CONDUCTOR OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD FOR EIGHT YEARS, AND I CAN SAY WHAT MOST CONDUCTORS CAN'T SAY—I NEVER RAN MY TRAIN OFF THE TRACK AND I NEVER LOST A PASSENGER." — HARRIET TUBMAN Artist Statement - Wesley Wofford, FNSS "HARRIET TUBMAN-THE BEACON OF HOPE DEPICTS THE TRANSFORMATION OF TUBMAN FROM HER DIFFICULT ORIGINS TO BECOMING A SYMBOL OF FREEDOM AND AN AMERICAN ICON. SHE IS A FREE WOMAN REACHING DOWN WITH AN ENCOURAGING HAND TO THE VIEWER, AND UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, THE VIEWER DISCOVERS A GOLDEN KEY IN HER HAND. THIS "GENERATIONAL KEY" INSPIRES VIEWERS TO REACH WITHIN THEMSELVES TO UNLOCK THE INNER STRENGTH TO FORGE THEIR OWN DESTINY JUST AS TUBMAN DID. THE OXEN YOKE IS A METAPHOR FOR THE YOKE OF SLAVERY AND SHE CRUSHES THIS BROKEN OBSTACLE TO THE POINT OF SNAPPING IT. IT ALSO ILLUSTRATES THE LEGENDARY STORY OF YOUNG ARAMINTA SINGLE HANDEDLY STEERING A TEAM OF OXEN FOR HER FATHER. THE PILED SHACKLES AND CHAINS DEPICT ALL OF THE LIVES ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THE SCOURGE OF SLAVERY. THE OPEN SHACKLES REPRESENT THOSE FREED BY TUBMAN AND OTHERS ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, WHILE THE LOCKED ONES DEPICT THOSE NOT LIBERATED UNTIL AFTER THE CIVIL WAR. THE CLOSED MANACLES ALSO SYMBOLIZE THE UNFINISHED WORK AHEAD OF US ESSENTIAL TO ACHIEVING A JUST AND EQUITABLE FUTURE FOR ALL. WHILE TUBMAN USED THE NORTH STAR TO NAVIGATE OUT OF BONDAGE, SHE THEN BECAME THE COMPASS ROSE TO THE THOUSANDS OF ENSLAVED WHO FOLLOWED HER GUIDING LIGHT TO FREEDOM. THE BEACON OF HOPE IS A MONUMENT THAT TELLS HARRIET TUBMAN'S STORY, SO THAT ALL MAY LEARN FROM IT; THAT AMPLIFIES HER MESSAGE OF EQUALITY, SO THAT ALL MAY HEAR IT; AND THAT CHRONICLES HER JOURNEY, WITH THE HOPE THAT WE ALL FIND THE INSPIRATION AND THE COURAGE TO WALK IN HER FOOTSTEPS." Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph by <a href="https://www.drba.net/sites/default/files/2023-10/beacon_of_hope_by_frank_scott.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frank Scott</a>, Delaware River & Bay Authority bronze chains figurative North Star shackles https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/141d9dbb2e7881a7852412eed9dbb906.jpeg df303338c5cabb6ae7566606365cda3c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Black Abolitionists: Tubman, Douglass, Truth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The monuments and memorials in this collection commemorate the extraordinary achievements of three U.S. Black abolitionist and freedom seekers: Harriet Tubman, née Araminta Ross, (c. 1822-1913); Frederick Douglass (c. 1818-1895); and Sojourner Truth (1797-1883). Born into slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in 1849. During the next ten years, she made approximately thirteen trips into Maryland to rescue other enslaved family members and friends. She provided instructions for escape to about 70 more enslaved people who were able to self-emancipate. During the Civil War, she served the United States Army as a spy, scout, nurse and cook. As one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, the monuments in this section often depict Tubman leading groups of freedom seekers on their journey northwards to freedom, such as Mario Chiodo’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom</a>. In other works, such as Alison Saar’s <a href="https://www.harriettubmanmonuments.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swing Low</a>, Tubman is depicted alone, facing southward as she makes the perilous journey back to Maryland to free more enslaved people. One of the most brilliant orators of his generation, Frederick Douglass worked ceaselessly for the cause of abolition. Among his many achievements, Douglass became one of the early and important critical theorists of photography, a medium invented in 1839. In a series of lectures delivered between 1861-1865, Douglass argued that photography had the power to shape people’s understandings of race and as such could be deployed to resist distorted representations of African Americans. Douglass, who was exceptionally aware of the power of his own image, sat for a number of portraits over several decades, circulating his image widely. His photographic portraits serve as the basis for a number of the works in this collection, including Ivan Schwartz’s <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1193" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frederick Douglass</a>, created for the New York Historical Society. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 in Swartekill, New York. She emancipated herself, escaping to freedom in 1826. During her 30-year career, she became a formidable force in several 19th-century reform movements, linking the struggles for Black freedom with women’s suffrage. Truth capitalized on both the affecting power of photography and its reproducibility to support her activism. She created carte-de-visite portraits of herself, which she copyrighted, adding the caption “I Sell the Shadow to Support the Substance. Sojourner Truth.” As Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby explores in her book Enduring Truths: Sojourner’s Shadows and Substance (2015), Truth “made her photographic portrait worth money in order to end slavery—and also became the strategic author of her public self.” Commemorative works such as the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1b9f9d28475430765059a059a43787b2.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sojourner Truth Memorial</a> in Florence, Massachusetts, are based on the photographic portrait that Truth so carefully created and circulated. Updated January 26, 2026 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 108 in. (274.32 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Traveling Exhibition: Harriet Tubman - The Journey to Freedom (Montgomery, Alabama) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Alabama--Montgomery Antislavery movements--United States Enslaved persons--Emancipation Freedom Public art Public sculpture Underground Railroad Subject (Name): Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913 Subject (Object Type): Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The sculpture depicts Harriet Tubman and a young girl caught in brisk motion against the wind, navigating treacherous terrain. Tubman’s left foot rests on an elevated platform, propelling them forward while her right foot pushes upward toward the incline. She grips the collar of her jacket with her left hand, as her right arm twists back to support the girl following behind her. The girl holds Tubman’s right arm with her left hand and grasps Tubman's right index finger between her thumb and forefinger. Tubman’s skirt partially covers the girl’s lower half. Near the girl’s bare feet lie a set of broken shackles. This monument was created in 2020 with the intention of traveling across the United States. Since then, the monument has traveled to the following locations: The Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Pavilion in Montgomery, Alabama (2020); Harriet Tubman Museum in Cape May, New Jersey (2020 and 2021); Dorchester County Courthouse in Cambridge, Maryland (2020); Newburgh Free Library in Newburgh, New York (2020); Jan Peek Square in Peekskill, New York (2020); Halifax State Historic Site in Halifax, North Carolina (2021); Haverstraw African American Memorial Park in Haverstraw, New York (2021); Bridge Park in Sylva, North Carolina (2021); Philadelphia City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2022); Renaissance Plaza in White Plains, New York (2022); The Harriet Tubman Home in Auburn, New York (2022); Washington Square Park in Rochester, New York (2022); Ulster County Office Building in Kingston, New York (2022-2023); Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (2023); Button Farm Living History Center in Germantown, Maryland (2023); The Frampton Plantation House in Yemassee, South Carolina (2023); Joseph Rainey Park in Georgetown, South Carolina (2023); Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina (2023-2024); Legacy Plaza in Montgomery, Alabama (2024); The Kerr Community Center in Bastrop, Texas (2024); and the International African American Museum in Charlestown, South Carolina (2024). Additional locations are scheduled for 2025 and beyond. For the sake of clarity, CMSP has decided to document this monument only once, based on the details from its initial unveiling. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wofford, Wesley, 1972- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph by Wofford Sculpture Studios Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 28, 2020 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Wesley Wofford, Wofford Sculpture Studio, P.O. Box 2927, Cashiers, North Carolina, 28717, United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant The Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Pavilion, 122 Commerce Street Montgomery, Alabama, 36104, United States Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Wofford, Wesley. “Harriet Tubman - The Journey to Freedom - Wofford Sculpture Studio.” Accessed August 13, 2024. https://www.woffordsculpturestudio.com/exhibitions/harriet-tubman. Welsh, Mickey. "The New Harriet Tubman Statue at the EJI Pavilion." Montgomery Advertiser, February 1, 2020. Accessed August 13, 2024. https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2020/02/01/new-harriet-tubman-statue-eji-pavilion/4633204002/. Extent The size or duration of the resource. 108 in. (274.32 cm) Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Inscription on the front of the base: THE JOURNEY TO FREEDOM Inscription on the back of the base: HARRIET TUBMAN Beside the monument, a plaque reads: HARRIET TUBMAN - THE JOURNEY TO FREEDOM Artist Statement: “In 1858, Harriet Tubman bravely returned to the slave state of Maryland to lead an 8-year-old girl to the free state of New York via the Underground Railroad network. Harriet later adopted the girl and there is speculation that she was Harriet's actual daughter or niece. I used this story as a launching point of historical reference around which I built the composition. The contours of the base are the Maryland/Delaware Peninsula where Harriet was originally enslaved and to which she frequently returned for her freedom raids. The dramatic ledge represents the Mason-Dixon line into free Pennsylvania, an important milestone in the journey to freedom. Harriet is leaning into the wind with her shoulder; eyes cut formidably up, bracing herself against the elements. The wind illustrates the peril of the journey and serves as a metaphor for the intense opposition she faced. Harriet's dress is protectively enveloping the girl. Her skirt, billowing like a flag, signifies the legal protections afforded to every United States citizen and a symbol of the future equality to come. Each hand on the sculpture expresses an attribute: Determination, Protection, Fear, and Trust. With a look of trepidation, the child is leaning out to get a better sense of what lies ahead. She holds Harriet's finger affectionately, her cautious hope echoed in her delicate grip. The child is off-balance and tentatively taking a step forward, her foot precariously close to the edge of the cliff. The shackles are broken; they have left the bonds of slavery behind them.” Wesley Wofford, FNSS Wofford Sculpture Studio www.woffordsculpturestudio.com bronze chains figurative portrait shackles https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/73ca10f703ac89f7fa5ce0a297adbe65.jpeg d90ba7847b56e82a38ed989b560a8630 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/1e8a87f1369061ce67a96b516fcca9fd.jpeg cd4ed5b1d0321bdb4ed770968c3dea0e https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/0826a728cd442f8f627122c714b9ca56.jpg a9f3f348baed83770e7ae0d6ee8ccc18 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/04da948604d58e22497f323ecb4e0a90.jpg af10d4a20ef420a5ba84f3996e4713b4 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/472543f63b394b1b0fd7c4fbce2a5fa2.jpg ee17c7b9c27d0f3e83b0be2cc49cfd31 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/0306e44e50db2f2b16a03cacf814fe05.jpg 5bd14231c040f5cd7202cf8413f34e79 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/e2e8bbab502224b051ba23c894716da0.jpg ce0aa641e80a32d80382c881e4857a2c https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/c1f4e46957f61e0e126cb750a894a61c.jpg 1b6b6f41198f7b18e0d96a9960f9b3a5 https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/cad2c3e70ec715a551444fce2571add6.jpg c9f98c0d6cdbf78d381e20a1b6e6cb42 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Sites of Slavery Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Renée Ater Description An account of the resource For this thematic grouping, sites of slavery are designated as historic places (including plantations, wharves, archaeological sites) where "slavery happened" and that commemorate enslaved Africans, their lives, and their labor. We include sites that act as memorials and often have sculpture, public art, or monuments located on their grounds.  Founded in 2014 as a museum, the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1218" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Whitney Plantation</a> educates the public about the history of slavery in Louisiana and the brutal production of sugar along the Mississippi River, between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The historic plantation complex comprises twelve historic structures including slave cabins, a kitchen, a jail, and the main house. This site of slavery includes four memorials: The Wall of Honor, Allées Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, The Field of Angels, and the 1811 German Coast Uprising Memorials. Other sites of slavery include the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1144" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACTe Mémorial </a>in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadaloupe, a memorial building and museum on the site of a former sugar plantation; the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1164" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Valongo Wharf</a>, an archaeology site in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that was the debarkation point of an estimated 900,000 enslaved Africans; and the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1152" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mémorial de l'abolition de l'esclavage</a> in Nantes, France, on the Quai de la Fosse along the Loire River, the symbolic departure point of slave ships that sailed from France to Africa. Additional sites to be added include the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park along the Alabama River in Montgomery, Alabama, and the African Ancestors Memorial Garden at the International African American Museum located on Gadsden’s Wharf in Charleston, South Carolina. Note: All sites of slavery in West Africa can be found under the theme of the <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/collections/show/14" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Transatlantic Slave Trade/Middle Passage.</a> Updated January 26, 2026 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Buildings and Structures Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Whitney Plantation Museum (Edgard, Louisiana) Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Cummings, John, 1938- (museum founder) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Enslaved persons Louisiana--Edgard Louisiana--St. John the Baptist Parish Plantations--Louisiana Slavery--Louisiana Sugar--Social Aspects--History Subject (Object Type) History Museums Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource Dedicated to the history of enslavement in the Louisiana, the Whitney Plantation is sited on the grounds where enslaved people labored in bondage for over 100 years. The historical site, museum, and memorials are located in St. John the Baptist Parish in Edgard, Louisiana. The museum is comprised of twelve historic structures including restored slave cabins, a kitchen, and the main house. Four memorials are also located on the grounds. The Wall of Honor is dedicated to all of the people who were enslaved at the Whitney Plantation including their names, places of origin, their skill, and dates of birth. The Allées Gwendolyn Midlo Hall memorial is is named for the histoiran Gwendolyn Midlo Hall (1929-2022). Hall created the Louisiana Slave Database to document the enslaved persons who lived in Louisiana from 1719-1820. She "rescued the identies" of thousands who were enslaved in the territory, and then, state. The memorial is made up of eighteen black granite walls engraved with the names of the 107,000 enslaved persons from the Louisiana Slave Database. The Field of Angels is dedicated to the 2,200 enslaved children who died in St. John the Baptist Parish (Louisiana) from 1823-1863, documented in the Sacramental Records of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. It includes a bronze statue of Black angel carrying a child to heaven and a low black granite, circular wall with the children's names engraved on it. The 1811 German Coast Uprising Memorial commemorates the largest slave revolt in U.S. history that took place on January 8-10, 1811. Enslaved persons from St. Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes rose up and planned to walk to New Orleans. They were stopped after a battle with local white militia. Dozens of enslaved persons were condemned to death and beheaded. Artist Woodrow Nash (b. 1948) created the 63 ceramic heads mounted on steel rods that make up the memorial. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photographs by Renée Ater Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource December 7, 2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Building and Structures Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 5099 Louisiana Highway 19, Edgard, Louisiana, 70449, United States Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource The Whitney Plantation, 5099 Louisiana Highway 19, Edgard, Louisiana, 70449, United States Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Armstrong, Kalim. "Telling the Story of Slavery." The New Yorker, February 17, 2016. Accessed May 1, 2021. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/telling-the-story-of-slavery. Johnson, Jessica Marie. "Time, Space, Memory at Whitney Plantation." Black Perspectives, AAIHS, March 14, 2015. Accessed on February 17, 2025. https://www.aaihs.org/time-space-and-memory-at-the-whitney-plantation/. Whitney Plantation. Teaching and Learning About American Slavery: Educational Resources for All. Accessed February 6, 2026. https://whitneyplantation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Educational-Resources-About-American-Slavery-3.pdf. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Black granite; Bronze; Ceramic; Brick; Wood bronze historic architecture marble memorial wall names sugar https://mail.slaverymonuments.org/files/original/e99cf9263fb544faa484bdfef4a57fe0.jpg 07e4dc4e31bfa7cc7bbf65da9ef8bdca Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Underground Railroad Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Renée Ater Description An account of the resource The memorial and monuments in this collection are dedicated to the Underground Railroad, an organized network of routes and safe houses that assisted freedom seekers [enslaved people] on their journeys northward. The Underground Railroad was part of the larger movement for the abolition of slavery in the United States. The movement to abolish slavery was a complicated political movement that, at its core, was driven by the resistance and activism of enslaved Black people and freedmen and women abolitionists. Historian Manisha Sinha explores the history of American abolition, including the Underground Railroad in The Slave's Cause: A History of Abolition (2016).  Although Harriet Tubman is the most famous conductor in the Underground Railroad, she is not the subject of the memorials featured in this collection (see the collection on this site, <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/collections/show/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black Abolitionists</a>, to view works specifically dedicated to her life and work). Rather the monuments and memorials featured here, such as Ed Dwight's <a href="https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1170" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gateway to Freedom: International Memorial to the Underground Railroad</a>, highlight other prominent conductors, as well as celebrate the fortitude and bravery of the freedom seekers as they made the perilous journey north. Updated January 26, 2026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Written by Grace Yasumura Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Sculpture Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 277 x 134 x 134 in. (703 x 340 x 340 cm) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Tower of Freedom (Windsor, Ontario) Subject The topic of the resource Subject (Topic) Antislavery movements--Canada Freedom Fugitive slaves--Canada Ontario--Windsor Public art Public sculpture Underground Railroad Subject (Object Type) Commemorative sculpture Description An account of the resource The Canadian counterpart to Ed Dwight's Gateway to Freedom: International Memorial to the Underground Railroad consists of a twenty-two-foot high granite tower, adorned with a bronze flame symbolizing the “Eternal Flame of Freedom.” Life-size bronze figures stand on opposite sides of the tower’s base. The cluster of four bronze figures facing the river include an African American woman holding an infant and a white woman, often identified as a Quaker “operative.” Behind the women, a man stands with his arms raised in a gesture of praise. On the opposite side of the tower, a singular figure of a woman looks back towards the river and the United States. Despite her age, she clutches a rag doll. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 20, 2001 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Detroit 300; The Underground Railroad Monument Committee of Windsor Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Visual Arts-Sculpture Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Windsor Civic Esplanade, 200 Pitt Street E., Windsor, Ontario, N9A 6T6, Canada Has Part A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource. Bronze plaque: THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN CANADA LE CHEMIN DE FER CLANDESTIN AU CANADA From the early 19th century until the American Civil War, settlements along the Detroit and Niagara rivers were important terminals for the Underground Railroad. White and black abolitionists formed a heroic network dedicated to helping free and enslaved African Americans find freedom from oppression. By 1861, some 30,000 freedom-seekers resided in what is now Ontario, after secretly traveling north from slave states like Kentucky and Virginia. Some returned south after the outbreak of the Civil War, but many remained helping to forge the modern Canadian identity. Du début du XIXe siècle à la guerre de Sécession, des villages le long des rivières Detroit et Niagara servirent de terminus au chemin de fer clandestin. Ce réseau d’ abolitionnistes blancs et noirs aida les Afro-Américains à fuir l’oppression pour atteindre la liberté. Ainsi, en 1861, près de 30 000 réfugies d’ascendance africaine, venant d'États esclavagistes comme le Kentucky et la Virginie, vivaient dans ce qui est aujourd’hui l’Ontario. Des Certains la guerre de Sécession certains repartirent vers le sub, mais beaucoup s’installèrent ici en permanence et contribuèrent à forger l'identité du Canada moderne Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada Inscription on the river-facing side of the monument: “Keeping the Flame of Freedom Alive” Inscription on the reserve of the monument: “International Underground Railroad Memorial” Inscription on base: “UNDERGROUND RAILRAOD AREAS OF SETTLEMENT AMERSTBURG DRESEDEN BUXTON CHATHAM COLCHESTER LITTLE RIVER NEW CANAAN PUCE SANDWICH WINDSOR" Bronze plaque in front of the memorial: Tower of Freedom by Ed Dwight Dedicated October 20, 2001, with companion work Gateway to Freedom in Hart Plaza, Detroit. A project of Detroit 300 and the Underground Railroad Monument Committee of Windsor. Bibliographic Citation A bibliographic reference for the resource. Recommended practice is to include sufficient bibliographic detail to identify the resource as unambiguously as possible. Faires, Nora. "Across the Border to Freedom: The International Underground Railroad Memorial and the Meanings of Migration." Journal of American Ethnic History 32, no. 2 (2013): 38-67. Rights Holder A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource. Renée Ater Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Dwight, Ed, 1933- Extent The size or duration of the resource. 277 x 134 x 134 in. (703 x 340 x 340 cm) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Bronze; Granite Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photograph: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22Tower_of_Freedom%22_by_Ed_Dwight_(2001),_Windsor,_Ontario,_2025-05-31_01.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wikipedia Commons</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource City of Windsor, 400 City Hall Square East, Windsor, Ontario, N9A 7K6, Canada bronze figurative granite obelisk