The Beaufort History Museum will present two lectures that are part of the historical series co-sponsored with the Beaufort County Library.
Both lectures take place at the Beaufort Branch Library at 311 Scott St. Admission is free but reservations are required and space is limited. To reserve a seat, visit www.beauforthistorymuseum.com.
The lectures are:
• 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 4: Harriet Tubman: A Glimpse into the Life of a Woman of Courage
Hear about Harriet Tubman’s (aka, Araminta Ross) life as a slave, her escape to freedom and her work with the Underground Railroad. You’ll learn how she helped to liberate hundreds of Lowcountry slaves in the Combahee Raid during the Civil War and about her work after the war as a humanitarian, suffragette and friend to the indigent.
The lecturer will be Andrea Allen, Beaufort History Museum board member.
• 2 p.m. Thursday, April 20: Gullah History and Culture
The lecture will cover the origin of the Gullah natives primarily located along the coastal areas of South Carolina and tell why they were concentrated in large numbers on various isolated islands such as Dafuskie, Johns Island, Kiawah, Port Royal and Wadmalaw.
St. Helena has the largest number of Gullah natives (6,500) where a strong culture still exists. Learn about their arrival as slaves through the Port of Charleston, how they were dispersed throughout the state, how their labor contributed to the wealth of the planters and what exactly happened to these natives after the “Big Gun Shoot” (The Battle of Port Royal Sound) on Nov. 7, 1861.
The lecturer will be Mary Rivers LeGree, a native of St. Helena Island. Her early years were spent on the Rivers’ family compound among her parents and other relatives. She will share their untold history and their practices from a genuine perspective, having been brought up in the culture.
