An Introduction to Cumberland Island
An Introduction to Cumberland Island
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A brief history...
A brief history...
The history of Cumberland Island and its inhabitants is long and varied, with lots of different types of people and cultures having settled there. We are attempting to summarize this history using this website, and by showing some of the more underrepresented groups that may have been overlooked in more widely available historical summaries. We specifically want to highlight the voices of African American people who were enslaved on the island, and then later as free people who settled and worked here. There have been various examples of misrepresentation on the island, such as the impeccable care given to the large, white owned mansions while almost all the places that African Americans frequented are either gone or in a state of extreme disrepair. We will be going through the entire history of the island, all the way back to the original Native Americans who settled there, up until the island became a National Park in the mid 20th century.
Where we are today:
Where we are today:
Researchers from the University of South Carolina and Bethune-Cookman University have been working with the National Park Service on a special history study investigating the history and experiences of African and African Americans on Cumberland Island throughout the island's history. Through this collaborative grant project, researchers are seeking written and oral histories pertaining to the island. Since 2019, they have been gathering available documentary, archival, and oral historical data that will be shared with the public as an annotated guide that will help those interested in pursuing personal genealogical research identify relevant resources. This website specifically seeks to present and contextualize prior work that has been done by Ms. Joyce Seward, who conducted a thorough oral historical research initiative in the late 20th century. By making that oral history collection available to the public, we hope to put the power of storytelling back in the hands of those who have first-hand connections to the island. We would love to connect with anyone else interested in sharing your family's histories of Cumberland, and encourage you to reach out through the email on this site.
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