Sojourn
The objects in this section represent Black craftspeople who freely traveled in search of more and those forced to travel from their homes. Some searched for peace, freedom, and liberty, while others searched for a place they could call their own.
The chance to sojourn or dwell elsewhere represented an opportunity for some Black craftspeople. For others, involuntary movement forced them to new, unfamiliar homes. In some instances, Black craftspeople used their sojourn to work freely or to create new lives for themselves and others, Many Black craftspeople brought generations-old craft traditions to new places . The forced movement westward of enslaved craftspeople and their craft knowledge, meanwhile, was fundamental to American expansion. While methods of movement differed, what remained constant was the significant impact that Black craftspeople had on the locations where they lived and worked.
There is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do, to see a plan adopted for this abolition of [slavery].”
George Washington, Revolutionary War hero, plantation owner, enslaver of hundreds of people and first President of the United States
