Near Sautee Nacoochee in White County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
African American Heritage Site
Photographed By Tom Bosse
1. African American Heritage Site Marker
Inscription.
African American Heritage Site. . The African American Heritage Site preserves one of North Georgia’s few surviving slave dwellings and interprets the lives of black people in bondage in Appalachia before the Civil War. Framed by 19th century landscaping and displaying antebellum artifacts, the Nacoochee slave cabin provides a focal point for the story of a people whose lives and labor were exploited by power and privilege during a dark period in this nation’s history.
In 1860, nearly 4 million African American’s were enslaved in the United States. In Georgia alone, over 460,000 blacks and mulattoes were held in bondage. On the eve of the American Civil War, the population of White County was 3,315; of those, 11 were free black residents and 263 were slaves claimed as property by 47 prominent white citizens. In Nacoochee Valley, there were 124 slaves, half of them owned by E.P. Williams and his brother Charles.
Nacoochee Valley was not part of the South’s “Cotton Kingdom”, characterized by vast plantations worked by thousands of slaves. In 1822, they came with early white settlers arriving from the Carolinas. Slaves in northeast Georgia cleared and cultivated the land, labored in mines and mills, served as domestics and skilled craftsmen, and toiled in foundries and fields.
The unique heritage of this rural region includes the African American experience and must acknowledge the lingering legacy of slavery.
According to one descendant of local slaves, “If the history of slavery, Jim Crow, and Civil rights is not preserved and woven into the narrative of northeast Georgia, future generations may not appreciate our achievements, against all odds, and in spite of hardships endured by our ancestors.”
The African American Heritage Site preserves one of North Georgia’s few surviving slave dwellings and interprets the lives of black people in bondage in Appalachia before the Civil War. Framed by 19th century landscaping and displaying antebellum artifacts, the Nacoochee slave cabin provides a focal point for the story of a people whose lives and labor were exploited by power and privilege during a dark period in this nation’s history.
In 1860, nearly 4 million African American’s were enslaved in the United States. In Georgia alone, over 460,000 blacks and mulattoes were held in bondage. On the eve of the American Civil War, the population of White County was 3,315; of those, 11 were free black residents and 263 were slaves claimed as property by 47 prominent white citizens. In Nacoochee Valley, there were 124 slaves, half of them owned by E.P. Williams and his brother Charles.
Nacoochee Valley was not part of the South’s “Cotton Kingdom”, characterized by vast plantations worked by thousands of slaves. In 1822, they came with early white settlers arriving from the Carolinas. Slaves in northeast Georgia cleared and cultivated the land, labored in mines and mills, served as domestics and skilled craftsmen, and toiled in foundries and fields.
The unique heritage of this rural region includes the African American
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experience and must acknowledge the lingering legacy of slavery.
According to one descendant of local slaves, “If the history of slavery, Jim Crow, and Civil rights is not preserved and woven into the narrative of northeast Georgia, future generations may not appreciate our achievements, against all odds, and in spite of hardships endured by our ancestors.”
Location. 34° 41.185′ N, 83° 40.561′ W. Marker is near Sautee Nacoochee, Georgia, in White County. Marker is on Georgia Route 255, on the left when traveling north. Located near the Sautee Nacoochee Cultural Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Sautee Nacoochee GA 30571, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Slave Garden (a few steps from this marker); Emancipation Wall (a few steps from this marker); Slave Dwelling (a few steps from this marker); Millstones (a few steps from this marker); Cooling Vat (a few steps from this marker); Blacksmith Shop (within shouting distance of this marker);
The back side of the "African American Heritage Site" marker can also be seen in the distance in front of the parking area.
Photographed By Leah Tibbs, May 1, 2021
4. "Nacoochee slave cabin"
Credits. This page was last revised on May 14, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 20, 2018, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 322 times since then and 36 times this year. Last updated on May 12, 2021, by David Tibbs of Resaca, Georgia. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 20, 2018, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. 3, 4. submitted on May 12, 2021, by David Tibbs of Resaca, Georgia. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
