1/9
December 21, 2020, marks 156 years since Sherman & 60,000 Union soldiers captured #Savannah. Sherman’s 285-mile, 3-week long “March to the Sea” devastated both the Confederacy & much of Georgia. Sherman reaching Savannah was the beginning of the end of the Civil War. #velshi
December 21, 2020, marks 156 years since Sherman & 60,000 Union soldiers captured #Savannah. Sherman’s 285-mile, 3-week long “March to the Sea” devastated both the Confederacy & much of Georgia. Sherman reaching Savannah was the beginning of the end of the Civil War. #velshi
2/9
Though a stunningly beautiful city, prior to Sherman’s arrival, Savannah was a horrible Confederate bastion of slavery. Just 5 years prior, the city was the scene of one of the largest sales of enslaved persons in American history. #velshi
Though a stunningly beautiful city, prior to Sherman’s arrival, Savannah was a horrible Confederate bastion of slavery. Just 5 years prior, the city was the scene of one of the largest sales of enslaved persons in American history. #velshi
3/9
In 1859, at an event called “The Great Slave Auction”, 436 men, women & children were brought to Savannah racetrack & put in stalls used for horses, where they waited for days, in some cases even weeks. Hotels in town filled with potential slave buyers. #velshi
In 1859, at an event called “The Great Slave Auction”, 436 men, women & children were brought to Savannah racetrack & put in stalls used for horses, where they waited for days, in some cases even weeks. Hotels in town filled with potential slave buyers. #velshi
4/9
The event became known as the “The Weeping Time” because the skies reportedly poured rain for 2 days as enslaved families were torn apart to help settle their owner’s gambling debts. News of the horrific auction deepened the nation’s divide before the Civil War. #velshi
The event became known as the “The Weeping Time” because the skies reportedly poured rain for 2 days as enslaved families were torn apart to help settle their owner’s gambling debts. News of the horrific auction deepened the nation’s divide before the Civil War. #velshi
5/9
Today the racetrack is long gone, and Savannah is a very different place. The population is now 54% Black, and dotting the city are reminders of its hidden history. #velshi
Today the racetrack is long gone, and Savannah is a very different place. The population is now 54% Black, and dotting the city are reminders of its hidden history. #velshi
6/9
In #Savannah, there is a marker dedicated to “The Weeping Time” auction, and in some of the beautiful antebellum homes, the former living quarters of slaves serve as physical reminders of the divide between the most and least powerful. #velshi
In #Savannah, there is a marker dedicated to “The Weeping Time” auction, and in some of the beautiful antebellum homes, the former living quarters of slaves serve as physical reminders of the divide between the most and least powerful. #velshi
7/9
On Jan 5, 2021, Savannah native son Rev. Raphael Warnock has a chance to make history by becoming Georgia’s first African American senator, and only the 11th Black Senator in American history. #velshi
On Jan 5, 2021, Savannah native son Rev. Raphael Warnock has a chance to make history by becoming Georgia’s first African American senator, and only the 11th Black Senator in American history. #velshi
8/9
Warnock’s feat is all the more impressive considering Georgia’s adoption of runoff elections was designed to limit the political participation of Black people. Warnock, with the help of people like Stacy Abrams, has worked hard to mobilize Georgia’s Black community. #velshi
Warnock’s feat is all the more impressive considering Georgia’s adoption of runoff elections was designed to limit the political participation of Black people. Warnock, with the help of people like Stacy Abrams, has worked hard to mobilize Georgia’s Black community. #velshi
9/9
Racial progress has been slow in Georgia. But the fact that 156 years ago, a Black man in Savannah had little agency over his own life and on Jan 5, 2021, a Black man from Savannah may be a U.S. Senator, is yet another chapter in the city's remarkable history. #velshi
Racial progress has been slow in Georgia. But the fact that 156 years ago, a Black man in Savannah had little agency over his own life and on Jan 5, 2021, a Black man from Savannah may be a U.S. Senator, is yet another chapter in the city's remarkable history. #velshi
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