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“We black folks had to wear lowells”: Negro Cloth, Enslaved People, and the Legacy of Lowell Manufacturing with Jonathan Michael Square
May 23, 2024 @ 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm EDT
Dr. Jonathan Michael Square will present the first chapter from his forthcoming book Negro Cloth: How Slavery Birthed the American Fashion Industry (Duke University Press, 2025), which explores the pivotal role of enslaved individuals in the production and use of “negro cloth,” specifically “Lowell cloth.”
This chapter draws on slave narratives and testimonies collected by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), delving into the intricate web of the fashion supply chain during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Enslaved individuals found a powerful means of self-expression through the creation and wearing of textiles, a recurring theme across the book’s chapters. The chapter’s focuses on the significance of Lowell cloth, named after the Massachusetts city where these textiles were often manufactured. This textile not only highlights the prominence of Lowell as a shining example of American industrialization, it also highlights the pivotal role of fashion and textiles in understanding the experience of enslaved people.
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Culturally Specific and EducationalKid/Family Friendliness
Appropriate for Teens and Older
