Historic Sotterley 19th century Corn Crib Building with "Land, Lives, and Labor" exhibit

Sotterley's Corn Crib building dates from the 1800's but has some recycled materials from the 1700's. This building was used to stack corn to keep moisture and pests from the grain. Corn, wheat, and other cereal grains were the main crops at Sotterley in the 1800's although some tobacco was still grown. Cotton was not a crop at Sotterley but was found farther south. Today, you will see displays of trades and skills used to run a farm. Native peoples once lived, hunted, and created vibrant cultures in the Tidewater region, including the land Historic Sotterley now inhabits. Before European contact and Colonial Maryland, they had thrived for thousands of years. Their presence is evident through archeological evidence and the culture and history passed down through their descendants today. People held during slavery did much of the hard labor at Sotterley. Many enslaved people were skilled Blacksmiths, carpenters, and wheelwrights, as well as skilled in animal husbandry. In the 1980's the museum converted this area to exhibit space. In 2013, Sotterley's "Land, Lives, and Labor" exhibit was developed and installed here.

The Land, Lives, and Labor exhibit was installed in 2013. This award-winning exhibit contains the stories of people that spent their lives and labor at Sotterley both enslaved and free. Discover the land and the lives through stories, artifacts, oral histories, and primary documents. This exhibit contains a list of known enslaved at Sotterley from the trans-Atlantic slave trade to Maryland Emancipation in 1864, as well as stories from those that lived at Sotterley farm before and after it became a museum in 1960. Discover a day in the life of these people that built Sotterley and those like them that built our nation.

Many of the tools and pieces of equipment on display as part of this exhibit highlight the role of technology on sites like Sotterley before and after the Civil War. These pieces provide insight as to how this region was impacted by the Industrial Revolution. While cities to the north, including Baltimore, expanded and became urban centers that were home to factories, railroads, and harbors; places like Sotterley remained reliant upon the labor of the enslaved and cash crops.

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In the state of Maryland students at various grade levels explore the history of slavery and its legacy in our world, our nation, and our state/region. As students uncover and develop an understanding about this history they try to answer "Essential Questions" that are included in the state social studies curriculum. Touring Historic Sotterley's grounds and buildings can help connect students and teachers with the content that they are learning about in the classroom.

Essential Questions related to this section of the tour:

5th grade:

• How did technology or industrial 'advancements" lead the expansion of the institution of slavery?
• Do the benefits of post-Civil War industrialization outweigh the costs?

Middle School: Consider the following:

• Evaluating the impact of technology on the geographic expansion of the institution of slavery.
• Analyzing the conditions that defined life for the enslaved. Including how technology impacted or the effect of technological developments on their lives
• Did the benefits of post-Civil War industrialization outweigh the costs