MYSTERY WOMAN IN THE SHAWL

(Source of image:  Florida State Archives)

With her care-worn expression and humble clothing, this Jacksonville woman looks as if she knew the blues.  Who was this mystery lady?  And what had her life been like? 

It seems probable that this senior citizen had been born into slavery.  The photo comes from the 1800s, according to the Florida State Archives.  Therefore, her birth year almost certainly predated the Constitution's 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in 1865.  And most African Americans did toil in bondage prior to the Civil War. 

   THANK YOU...  

       FOR VISITING THE JACKSONVILLE STORY,

        YOUR TIME MACHINE TO THE PAST