CAMBRIDGE, MD – Linda Harris, the Executive Director of the Harriet Tubman Museum and Education Center, may have a crucial link to the 19th century as she holds a recently discovered artifact believed to be a shackle worn by a slave child.
The significant find was presented to the museum by a resident of Wicomico County, who found it while magnet fishing in a creek that feeds into the Nanticoke River. According to Harris, “This was brought to us yesterday [Thursday] by a person who lives in Wicomico County near the Nanticoke River, and he is a magnet fisher.”
Upon closer examination, Harris drew parallels between the artifact and images of shackles worn by children in the 19th century, particularly around 1840 and 1850. “I pulled up images of shackles of children during that period of the 19th century around 1840, 1850, and this resembles those shackles,” said Harris.
The discovery has sparked numerous questions and speculations for Harris. “Of course, stories were swirling around in my head. Could this have been a shackle that was taken off, and the child was fleeing with his family or parents? Or could he have been thrown in the water and died? I don’t know. It’s all speculation, but it’s just a reminder of what happened here,” she reflected.
The artifact, believed to have been submerged for more than 150 years, is being carefully preserved. Harris mentioned that they are keeping it wrapped in moist paper towels to prevent oxidation. The museum plans to consult with an archaeologist soon to delve deeper into the historical significance of the finding.
The Harriet Tubman Museum and Education Center in Cambridge aims to have the artifact on public display by early February, offering visitors a tangible connection to the 19th-century struggles of enslaved individuals.
