NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A groundbreaking slavery exhibition is opening today at the Tennessee State Museum and will feature the stories of both slaves and slaveholders at a former Robertson County plantation that was once the largest producer of tobacco in the U.S.
The exhibit, Slaves and Slaveholders of Wessyngton Plantation, will give an in-depth look at life on the 13,000-acre plantation. The lives of several slaves will be featured, including that of a 10-year-old girl who, along with her sister, was sold from a Virginia planter and brought to Tennessee, only to never see her mother again. Other slaves featured include the plantation’s primary cook and a 12-year-old seized by the Union Army.
The plantation was founded by Joseph Washington, who kept detailed records.
The exhibition is free and runs through Aug. 31.