The back wall of the gallery space was reserved for a reflection piece. An authentic set of slave chains hangs suspended in front of all 53 pages of the 1860 United States Census Slave Schedule for Ca..
The back wall of the gallery space was reserved for a reflection piece. An authentic set of slave chains hangs suspended in front of all 53 pages of the 1860 United States Census Slave Schedule for Calhoun County. The paper schedules hang by cotton thread. The chains are empty, to remind the viewer that they are no longer used. On the floor is printed 4352, the number of enslaved persons counted in Calhoun County that year. The section is composed of mostly white, to evoke solemness in comparison with the other sections of the exhibition. The purpose of this section is to provide a stark contrast and make a poignant statement to the viewer. The audience should walk away with a sense of the magnitude and oppression of slavery and be overwhelmed at the 4352 listed persons held in bondage.
