The largest single, slave auction in U.S. history resulted in the tragic sale of over 400 Gullah Geechee men, women and children in 1859 in Savannah, Georgia. Every year, descendants and community members gather to commemorate this historic event — the only one in the U.S. devoted to remembering the horrors of the public, auction block and memorializing the victims. Join us for a talk with historian Dr. Anne Bailey whose new work, “The Weeping Time: Memory and the Largest Slave Auction in American History” examines this important chapter in Gullah Geechee and U.S. history.

Her book is one of the first to analyze the operation of this auction and trace the lives of slaves before, during, and after their sale. Immersing herself in the personal papers of the Butlers, accounts from journalists that witnessed the auction, genealogical records, and oral histories, Dr. Bailey weaves together a narrative that brings the auction to life. Demonstrating the resilience of African American families, she includes interviews from the living descendants of slaves sold on the auction block, showing how the memories of slavery have shaped people’s lives today. Using the auction as the focal point, The Weeping Time is a compelling and nuanced narrative of one of the most pivotal eras in American history, and how its legacy persists today.