Slavery's Traces: In Search of Ashley's Sack

Abstract

One of the most enigmatic objects on display in the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is "Ashley's Sack." On loan from South Carolina's Middleton Place, this unbleached cotton sack features an embroidered text recounting the slave sale of a nine-year-old girl named Ashley and the gift of the sack by her mother. Until now, Ashley's identity has been unknown. New research by Mark Auslander traces Ashley's Sack from the initial gift during the era of slavery to the present.

Keywords

• Slavery
• African American Studies
• Museums
• Archival Studies
• Memory and Memorial Cultures
• African American History