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Year: 18th and 19th century​

Who: Enslaved African Blacksmiths​

Where: Chesapeake and New Orleans​

What: Europeans witnessed African blacksmiths’ art from west and west-central Africa, with pieces from as far back as the early fifteenth century. This led them to enslave Africans from these regions to complete metal works in the colonies. Highly skilled enslaved ironworkers like Abraham and Bill in the 1760s helped manage large iron furnaces. In their ironworks, enslaved African blacksmiths used symbols from their cultures as lasting representations of their heritage.​

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Johns Hopkins University
2800 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218

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