Research at Winterthur Speaker Series

Plantation Goods: A Material History of American Slavery The industrializing North and the agricultural South—that’s how we have been taught to think about the United States in the early nineteenth century. But in doing so, we overlook the economic ties that held the nation together before the Civil War. We miss slavery’s long reach into small New England communities, just as we fail to see the role of Northern manufacturing in shaping the terrain of human bondage in the South. Using plantation goods—the shirts, hats, hoes, shovels, shoes, axes, and whips made in the North for use in the South—historian Seth Rockman locates the biggest stories in American history in the everyday objects that stitched together the lives and livelihoods of Americans—white and Black, male and female, enslaved and free—across an expanding nation. Rockman is the George L. Littlefield Professor of American History, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Brown University. The Research at Winterthur series, presented by the Winterthur Library and the Research Fellowship Program, showcases new projects and publications that tap into our rich collections and resources, unveiling innovative perspectives for exploring the fascinating stories that objects can tell about people and our shared past. Registration required. Included with admission. Members free. Register now. Join us for additional talks in the series on April 19, May 1, and May 8.