Quilts have a very long history in America—their creation preceded the establishment of the country. More than just a way to keep warm, these coverings are a vessel for passing down history. One of my favorite examples of this is Civil War quilts—particularly Lucinda Ward Honstain’s Reconciliation Quilt sewn in 1867.
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The Civil War ended in 1865, a fact reflected in Reconciliation Quilt. Two of the blocks make mention of this significant event; one features Confederate president Jefferson Davis being freed after his imprisonment, while the other depicts a black man talking to a white man on horseback. On the second block from the left in the third row stating, “Master, I am free.”
Just as quilts offer a way to transmit information, they are also a way to express opinions. It seems that Lucinda’s work tries to remain objective about things like the war. In doing so, lacks a discussion about difficult subjects like slavery and citizenship—topics we are still discussing today.
Learn more about this quilt in Robert Shaw’s book,
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