Constellations
Exhibitions

Part Part 03Chapter Ch. 04 - Life & Work

Chapter 01
King Cotton
Cotton made the U.S. into a global economic powerhouse, and enslaved African Americans were at the heart of its production.
Chapter 02
Codifying Slavery
National tension continued to build as the country expanded. Calls for the spread of slavery were met with demands for freedom.
Chapter 03
Domestic Slave Trade
In 1808, the developing nation ended its participation in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, massively increasing demand for the domestic slave trade.
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Life & Work
African Americans who endured slavery created cultures passed on wisdom, defined beauty, and lived through one of the worst human atrocities.
Chapter 05
Making a Way
African Americans fought slavery and inequality in ways large and small, from open rebellion to subtle acts of resistance.

Chapter 04
Life & Work

African Americans who endured slavery created cultures instilled with wisdom, beauty, and vitality. Living a dual life—one of hardship and one of community and faith—enslaved people turned their focus towards family, knowledge, neighbors, and joy, wherever it might be found. They found pleasure in a job well done, a child well-loved, a song, a story, or a gathering that rejuvenated the soul. Life was more than enslavement.

Chapter Ch. 04Section Sec. 03 - To Create

Section 01
To Have & to Hold
Enslaved Black people were forcibly held as property within slave cabins. Despite these inhumane conditions, enslaved people cultivated relationships and formed communal networks.
Section 02
To Cultivate
Much of America’s most fertile farmland, from Maryland to Texas, was cultivated with the knowledge and skill of enslaved African Americans.
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To Create
Enslaved people applied traditions of metalwork, architecture, and engineering from western Africa. While building for others, they also built for themselves.
Section 04
To Nurture
The hearts of enslaved women and girls forced to live with their enslavers remained with their families.
Section 05
To Be a Woman
Enslaved women relied upon great physical and mental strength to endure the inhumanity of breeding, sexual violence, hard labor, and maternal loss.
Section 06
To Grow
Enslaved children forced to grow up fast, attempted to experience youth. They found joy in games and one another, despite their enslavement.
Section 07
To Seek
Enslaved African Americans held fast to their faith as a source of personal strength.
Section 08
A Cabin Story
The Point of Pines Slave Cabin tells the stories of slavery and freedom and legacy. It also tells a powerful collection story.

Section I

To Have & to Hold

Section II

To Cultivate

Section III

To Create

Section IV

To Nurture

Section V

To Be a Woman

Section VI

To Grow

Section VII

To Seek

Section VIII

A Cabin Story

Photograph of circular copper slave badge.

Section III

Section IIITo Create

To Create

Isaac Granger Jefferson, Enslaved Blacksmith, ca. 1845

Drawing on generations of skill and artistry, from mentors and master craftsmen, African American men applied traditions of metalwork, architecture, and engineering from western Africa. While building for others, they also built for themselves. They instilled the pride of craftsmanship into their daily work and took time to create for loved ones. But skills came at a price—enslavers bought, sold, and rented craftsmen, often breaking families apart.

Isaac Granger Jefferson, Enslaved Blacksmith, ca. 1845

Most all the fine work around Wilmington was done by slaves. They called 'em artisans. None of 'em could read, but give 'em any plan an' they could follow it to the last line.

John Jackson, 1937

Life

Grave Marker for Laide Williams

African American crafts workers took pride in their skills and used them to improve life for themselves and their communities. They made everyday objects to sell at market and provide for their families. They also created for pleasure, decorating bowls, quilts, dresses, and furniture with their own style.

Solomon Williams used his metalworking skills to honor his wife, Laide Williams, after her death. He marked her grave and the graves of other enslaved men and women who lived in the Cane River community with beautiful hand-wrought crosses.

Grave Marker for Laide Williams

Work

Double Helix Drill Bit, before 1865

As an enslaved blacksmith, Solomon Williams designed and forged this double-helix drill bit in 1820. It is a striking example of complex mathematics applied to metalwork. Blacksmiths like Williams held a position of respect and power in many plantation communities, derived from their skill, intellect, and relative mobility. Like other artisans, blacksmiths were often called upon to travel from plantation to plantation. This gave them knowledge of the neighborhood and ties to other enslaved people nearby.

Double Helix Drill Bit, before 1865

Thomas Day, Master Craftsman

Carved Side Chair by Thomas Day

Thomas Day was a master craftsman of cabinetry and furnishing and was at one time considered North Carolina’s premier cabinetmaker. His elite clientele benefited from his artistry as he created unique architectural designs that complemented his ornate furniture.

Carved Side Chair by Thomas Day

Enslavement

Iron Collar and Key

Enslaved blacksmiths were often forced to forge restraints. Like other enslaved blacksmiths, Solomon Williams probably made shackles, neck irons, balls and chains, and thumbscrews that could have been used on members of his community, his family, or even himself.

Iron Collar and Key

Dave the Potter

Storage Jar Made and Signed by David Drake, 1852

Large stoneware jars stored grains and liquids. But David Drake, an enslaved man in South Carolina, made sure his jars were special. Known as Dave the Potter, he signed his pots, which were remarkable for their size and craftsmanship. He sometimes wrote poems on his jars, adding even more creativity to his work.

Storage Jar Made and Signed by David Drake, 1852

Charleston Slave Tags

As the nation’s second largest city, Charleston had a booming construction trade. Enslavers saw a business opportunity and rented out enslaved people with valuable skills. Each enslaved person who was rented had to wear a tag, or badge, that was regulated and taxed by the city. These badges identify a porter, mechanic, and servant.