New Wanderer Memory Trail on Jekyll Island honors survivors of one of last slave ships to land in U.S. (Atlanta: real estate)

[Airforceguy]

Located on the southern end of this Georgia barrier island, the Wanderer Memory Trail is nestled along the banks of the Jekyll River, near the point where the Wanderer illegally came ashore Nov. 28, 1858, with more than 400 enslaved Africans on board.

The new trail walks visitors through the true story of Umwalla, a young African boy brought to America on that ship 160 years ago this month. Through a series of interactive exhibits along the trail, the pieces of Umwalla’s journey are unveiled — from capture to freedom.

The slave ship Wanderer originally was built as a stately and swift luxury yacht, which helped disguise its secret, illegal transport of enslaved Africans from West Africa to America. Physical changes had been made internally to the ship, so that hundreds of slaves could be callously packed into the vessel.

https://www.savannahnow.com/entertai...-to-land-in-us

[seussie]

Hmmmmm. I’m intrigued but also frightened.

[DreamerD]

Interesting...I didn't know the Gullah had ties to Jekyll Island. I always thought it was more the South/North Carolina coast. I like the candle idea they have. It's important to reflect.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by DreamerD

Interesting...I didn't know the Gullah had ties to Jekyll Island. I always thought it was more the South/North Carolina coast. I like the candle idea they have. It's important to reflect.

The Gullah in NC is extremely small and the culture has been heavily diluted; most people don't even know the Gullah culture extended as far north as NC. The SC and GA Lowcountry and Sea Islands have the only remaining sizable Gullah communities in the country now.

[DreamerD]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

The Gullah in NC is extremely small and the culture has been heavily diluted; most people don't even know the Gullah culture extended as far north as NC. The SC and GA Lowcountry and Sea Islands have the only remaining sizable Gullah communities in the country now.

I find this really sad. I know it's life and all but I really do find their culture very interesting. Not too educated on the topic but I do wonder if many will end up not being able to stay along the coast. I don't know if it's Tybe Island or what place it was but there were descendants of slaves who lived on the island for generations and some craziness happened where they jacked up exponentially the price of the real estate, which forced many to relocate. It was pretty sad watching it.



Really tired. Good night everyone.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by DreamerD

I find this really sad. I know it's life and all but I really do find their culture very interesting. Not too educated on the topic but I do wonder if many will end up not being able to stay along the coast. I don't know if it's Tybe Island or what place it was but there were descendants of slaves who lived on the island for generations and some craziness happened where they jacked up exponentially the price of the real estate, which forced many to relocate. It was pretty sad watching it.

I believe that you are referring to Sapelo Island and the Geechee community of Hog Hammock.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hog_Hammock,_Georgia

[JayHey]

Except outsiders can't just go property in Hog Hammock, it's a protected community and the "real estate" market isn't really susceptible to rising prices or even active.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by JayHey

Except outsiders can't just go property in Hog Hammock, it's a protected community and the "real estate" market isn't really susceptible to rising prices or even active.

The privately owned properties on the island certainly are.

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...-island-ga_rb/

[DreamerD]

Originally Posted by JayHey

Except outsiders can't just go property in Hog Hammock, it's a protected community and the "real estate" market isn't really susceptible to rising prices or even active.

Originally Posted by Iconographer

The privately owned properties on the island certainly are.

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...-island-ga_rb/

Found this on Wikipedia:



"In the 1990s, mainlanders began acquiring parcels of land from the Gullahs to construct vacation homes. In 2012, McIntosh County property tax appraisers notified Hog Hammock residents of huge property tax increases, even though there was no longer a school on the island. One Hog Hammock property owner's annual tax bill soared from $600 to $2,100. In 2013, a fight over the sudden tax hikes was well underway, with some residents claiming they would be driven from land they had owned for many generations for the benefit of mainlanders who would acquire more of Hog Hammock's homes.[5][6]"





This is why I can see the importance of keeping mainlanders/outsiders out of their community (not saying they tried to). It probably only took a few to cause such havoc. Pretty sure they knew exactly what they were doing.

[Smash XY]

I discovered this story last month and I was surprised that an illegal slave ship came in 1858, I've never heard of it before. When you think that it just happened 160 years ago...

Apparently most of the enslaved people were from the Congo (DRC).

Is Family legend about a slave ship true ?

Originally Posted by DreamerD

Interesting...I didn't know the Gullah had ties to Jekyll Island. I always thought it was more the South/North Carolina coast. I like the candle idea they have. It's important to reflect.

I don't think the Wanderer survivors were part of the Gullah people, they already existed before. Most of the Wanderer passengers settled in the Edgefield/Augusta area.