Savannah, Georgia

Like many other major cities in America, the city of Savannah was built on the harsh labor of slavery. Savannah played an integral role in the Atlantic slave trade. It served as the hub of the International slave trade in the south east of America, receiving countless shipments of captured Africans. In 1735, hundreds of Africans were forced to part ways with their loved ones to be brought to America to become slaves.

Upon arrival, they were placed in a holding facility in Johnson Square for "advertisement" prior to being transferred to the auction site in Wright Square. Wright Square became such a popular trade site that by 1740, slaves were imported from South Carolina to be openly sold there. Male slaves provided labor for homes and public buildings while the female slaves were used for growing crops (cotton, rice etc…) in the plantations and provided domestic services in the wealthy whites homes.

Savannah’s agricultural economy was built exclusively on black slave’s labor. Specifically, through the production of cotton.

Before the American Revolution, cotton and tobacco were the major crops in Savannah. Cotton was a hard crop to plant and harvest and that is exactly what slaves were forced to do. They worked very long hours and most of the time with little to no compensation. As a result, many slaves suffered from severe and paralyzing backaches inflicted from bending and stooping from cotton picking. After the American revolution, cotton became the dominant commodity grown.

The cotton from Savannah supplied the North's and the Britain's cotton mills and helped maintain a balance of trade with Europe. In 1780, more than 752,000 bales of cotton were produced causing a significant increase in the economy. It became such an attractive cash crop that it dominated agriculture not only in Georgia but throughout the south for many decades to come.

Education was among many other challenges endured by African Americans in Savannah.

Before the civil war, the city of Savannah passed an ordinance forbidding the education of black children by black and white teachers. The punishment for teaching slaves, if the perpetrators were caught by authorities was $500 for whites. For black teachers, slave or freedmen, the punishment was $100 and up to thirty-two lashes with a whip in the public square. Despite the risk of punishment, some black teachers took it upon themselves to educate slave children. Among them, there was a former slave’s daughter named Jane Deveaux who took it upon herself to risk it all and educate slave children. Students had to find creative routes on their way to and from her school to avoid authorities. They typically covered their books in leaves to minimize suspicion. She ran her secret school for 30 years. Today this school is called the Beach Institute and it serves as an African American cultural center.

In some instances, slave-owners will teach their black slaves to read and write if their education benefited their owner.

One way that slave found refuge from the harsh days at the plantation was through this church called the First African Baptist church. This church was built entirely by black labor, with the majority of the congregation coming to work on the project at night after the day on the plantation was over. Later in the years, this church served as one of Savannah’s underground Railroad, a secret route that helped escaped slaves find their way to freedom. It is also known as the first African American church in the country and it still stands until this day as a testament to the contribution of the black community to Savannah GA.

The arrival of the union gunboats along the coast of Georgia in the late 1861 during the civil war marked the beginning to the end of slavery. As hundreds of slaves fled across the enemy lines to seek sanctuary from the Union troops. In 1864, the Union troops led by General William T. Sherman began their destructive march from Atlanta to Savannah. The chaos from the march caused destruction of slaveholders properties and many slave lives. As a result, the relationship between the slaves and slave-owners changed dramatically. Slave-owners no longer had control over their slaves which consequently led to their freedom.

The civil war, though not inherently fighting for slavery, brought an end to it. The black men/women were “Free” at last.

Early 1900s began the new era of prosperity of the black community in Savannah, GA. Formerly known as West broad street, now Martin Luther king, Jr Boulevard was the hub of business owned by black people. This street was filled with black businesses on both sides, with many having a second story walk ups possessed by cliques and black social clubs. West broad street was not just a center of business but also Savannah’s civil Rights movement. Today this street is looked at as one of the most iconic streets of savannah due to its history.

After the abolishment of slavery in the late 19th century, the system of Jim Crow segregation continued to exist in many public services. Savannah leaders built playgrounds solely for white children, with no mention of the black children of the city. Better schools for whites and mediocre schools for African American kids. This system provided a way for Savannah to continue their subordination of African-Americans. After many riots and protest against inequality, the federal civil rights legislation prohibited segregation and discrimination against African-Americans. This race relation was officially welcomed by Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter in 1971.