Week 4: Tory Row

Our exhibition, dedicated to exploring the history of New England’s enslavement practices, delves into the complexities of the transatlantic slave trade and the evolving resistance to it. Using objects from Harvard’s museums, we aim to shed light on the region’s entanglement with slavery, resistance, and eventual progress. The works we’ve selected span the abolitionist movements in Britain, the persistence of enslaved labor in the Americas, and the long road toward emancipation and self-expression. Together, these pieces trace an arc from exploitation to resilience, culminating in the hard-won artistic freedom of African Americans.

The exhibition opens with two objects—an abolitionist jug (c. 1810–20) and a butter tub and stand—that capture the sentiment and iconography of Britain’s abolitionist movement. Both ceramic pieces, with their clean glazes and elegant designs, present jarring imagery that asks viewers to confront the realities of slavery. The jug features the famous image of a kneeling enslaved man and the phrase “Am I Not a Man and a Brother?”, a motto central to the abolitionist cause. On the reverse side, it bears a stanza from William Cowper’s abolitionist poem The Negro’s Complaint, calling for reflection on the inhumanity of slavery. The butter tub, with its inscription “Remember them that are in Bonds,” and depiction of an enslaved woman further cements the abolitionist message, urging users to recall the ongoing suffering of the enslaved. These objects symbolize a moral imperative circulating in Britain at the time, encouraging empathy and action to dismantle the institution of slavery.

However, the next piece in the exhibition, Ships Unloading, New York (1868) by Samuel Colman, reminds us that the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade did little to halt the economic systems that relied on enslaved labor. Colman’s painting depicts the bustling activity at a New York dock as workers unload heavy bales of cotton, a crop intimately tied to the enslavement of African Americans in the South. Despite the abolitionist movements overseas, the American economy continued to profit from enslaved labor. The monumental ships in the painting loom over the laborers, symbolizing the enduring structures of oppression. This painting invites viewers to reflect on how abolition, though a necessary first step, did not immediately free African Americans from the economic and social systems that exploited their labor.

The third piece, Storage Jar (1840) by David Drake, represents a crucial moment of resistance and progress within the system of slavery. Drake, an enslaved potter in South Carolina, was known for his mastery of stoneware and his rare act of signing and dating his work. In a time when it was illegal for enslaved people to read or write, Drake’s inscription on the jar, marking his name and the date, becomes an act of defiance. This jar was used to store food or goods produced by the labor of enslaved people, but its inscription is a declaration of identity, skill, and agency in the face of oppression. Drake’s literacy, as well as his ability to leave a permanent record of his existence, represents a small yet significant step toward freedom for enslaved people.

The exhibition concludes with Edmonia Lewis’s marble bust of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1871), a powerful symbol of both abolitionist ideals and the personal triumph of an African American artist. Lewis, born to African American and Native American parents, found success as a sculptor during and after the Civil War. Working in Boston, she leveraged her talent to support the antislavery cause and later moved to Rome, where she gained international acclaim. Her bust of Longfellow, a fervent abolitionist, exemplifies her ability to navigate and transcend the racial and gender constraints of her time. For Lewis, this piece—and her career more broadly—signals the culmination of the fight for self-expression and recognition that began in the abolitionist movement.

Through these four works, our exhibition illustrates the journey from enslavement to freedom, highlighting both the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade and the resilience of those who fought against it. From the visual rhetoric of abolition in Britain to the ongoing exploitation in America, and from acts of resistance by enslaved artisans to the ultimate triumph of Black artistic expression, these pieces serve as powerful reminders of the enduring legacy of slavery and the strength of those who resisted it.

Bibliography

Abolitionist Jug, c. 1810–20. Unidentified manufacturer, British. Pearlware with transfer-printed and luster decoration. Fogg Museum, Gift of Augustus S. Cobb, by exchange, 205.53.

Abolitionist Butter Tub and Stand, early 19th century. Unidentified manufacturer, British. Transfer-printed porcelain with gilding. Fogg Museum, Purchase through the generosity of a fund established by Mr. and Mrs. George R. Nunnberg, by exchange, 2017.8.

Colman, Samuel. Ships Unloading, New York, 1868. Oil on canvas mounted on board. True Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection, TL6382.

Drake, David. Storage Jar, 1840. Stoneware. Fogg Museum, Anonymous Fund in memory of Harry Berg, through the generosity of the heirs of C.H.S. Mullen, Margaret Browne Spring and gift of Mr. and Mrs. George R. Nunnberg, by exchange, 2017.34.

Lewis, Edmonia. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1871. Marble. Harvard University Portrait Collection, 1872, S52.