Finding Freedom’s Home: Archaeology at Mitchelville

Finding Freedom’s Home: Archaeology at Mitchelville, a temporary exhibit at the South Carolina State Museum, highlights the rich history of the freedman’s town of Mitchelville, S.C. The exhibit tells the story of nearby enslaved people who fled their plantations for the Union lines after Union occupation in Port Royal in November 1861. Recent archaeological discoveries are include from the site of Mitchelville, which help tell the story of formerly enslaved men and women who rebuilt their lives, legal system, schools, churches and homes after becoming free. These findings are important clues to the life in one of the first self-governing freedmen’s communities in the United States. Mitchelville will be at the State Museum Saturday, Feb. 14 through Sunday, Aug. 23 and is included with museum membership or general admission.