St. Andrews Beach Park - The Wanderer Memorial

 

We recently visited St. Andrews Beach Park, which is part of Jekyll Island, Ga. The park commemorates the story of the people who were brought to American shores by the Wanderer, a ship used to transport enslaved people. Throughout the park's winding trail, there are markers with explanations of the horrible fate of the enslaved Africans who were ruthlessly snatched from their homelands, brought aboard the ship and forced into an unspeakable existence as human property. 

This marker notes that survivors of the evil journey of the Wanderer were among the last known groups of enslaved Africans forcibly relocated to America. 

This marker notes that approximately 409 men, women and children were forcibly transported via the Wanderer for human trafficking purposes. The sign lists names of some known survivors, but is far from complete due to inadequate information. 

This model of a dwelling on the African continent shows a small sliver of life before the Africans were forcibly removed.

This sign notes that for 350 years, millions of Africans were captured and forcibly taken to the Americas to serve as forced labor. It notes that in 1858, the Wanderer, which had been a yacht, was converted into a vessel for human trafficking. This came 51 years after U.S. law prohibited trafficking Africans into the United States. 

The marker above details some of the atrocities associated with the voyage from African shores to the American South. Deplorable conditions such as overcrowding, malnourishment, physical restraints, illness, excessive heat and unhealthy air quality subjected the involuntary passengers to extreme danger. The journey took about six weeks and covered approximately 6,000 miles. 

Above is an illustration of the cramped, squalid settings of the ship in which African people were forced to endure a long, excruciatingly painful journey. 

The sign above notes how once captured from their home areas in Africa, the people were forced to take long, harrowing marches to the awaiting human trafficking vessels. These marches were fraught with fear, danger and uncertainty. 

The display above shows a washboard, bucket and hoe blade, all of which were used as improvised musical instruments. The enslaved people used music not only as a form of entertainment, but also as a form of communication that allowed them to convey messages to each other without their overseers being privy. 

It's hard to fathom that an area so beautiful, with its verdant plant life, shores and water, could have been a venue for something as horrific as systematic human trafficking. But unfortunately, we know that it was. It is now incumbent upon us to never forget the atrocities that were committed, vow to ensure we will never let this happen again and to understand the strength and perseverance that our African ancestors demonstrated and that lives on in us today.