1/9
156 years since General William Sherman and 60,000 Union soldiers captured Savannah. Sherman’s “March to the Sea” devastated both the Confederacy and much of Georgia. Sherman reaching Savannah was the beginning of the end of the Civil War. #gasen
156 years since General William Sherman and 60,000 Union soldiers captured Savannah. Sherman’s “March to the Sea” devastated both the Confederacy and much of Georgia. Sherman reaching Savannah was the beginning of the end of the Civil War. #gasen
2/9
Until 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. #gasen
Until 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. #gasen
3/9
436 men, women and children were brought to a Savannah racetrack just 2 miles from here and put in stalls used for horses, where they waited for days, in some cases even weeks. Hotels in town filled with potential slave buyers from across the region. #gasen
436 men, women and children were brought to a Savannah racetrack just 2 miles from here and put in stalls used for horses, where they waited for days, in some cases even weeks. Hotels in town filled with potential slave buyers from across the region. #gasen
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. #gasen
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. #gasen
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. #gasen
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. #gasen
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. #gasen
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. #gasen
7/9
Right now, one of Savannah’s own, Reverend Raphael Warnock, is on the brink of making history by becoming Georgia’s first African American senator, and only the 11th Black Senator in American history. #gasen
Right now, one of Savannah’s own, Reverend Raphael Warnock, is on the brink of making history by becoming Georgia’s first African American senator, and only the 11th Black Senator in American history. #gasen
8/9
Warnock’s feat would be the more impressive considering GA’s adoption of runoff elections was designed specifically to limit the political participation of Black people. With the help of people like Stacy Abrams, Warcock has mobilized Georgia’s Black community. #gasen
Warnock’s feat would be the more impressive considering GA’s adoption of runoff elections was designed specifically to limit the political participation of Black people. With the help of people like Stacy Abrams, Warcock has mobilized Georgia’s Black community. #gasen
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 now a Black man from Savannah may be elected a U.S. Senator, is yet another chapter in the state’s remarkable history. #gasen
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 now a Black man from Savannah may be elected a U.S. Senator, is yet another chapter in the state’s remarkable history. #gasen
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