100 Objects #12: "Negro Cloth"
Summary
Host Roman Mars interviews historian Seth Rockman about his book *Plantation Goods*, focusing on a rare swatch of "Negro cloth" found in archival letters. Rockman explains how Northern manufacturers, like the Hazard brothers in Rhode Island, profited from slavery by producing durable textiles for enslaved people in the South. The episode explores the complex economic interdependence between the North and South, the moral rationalizations of producers, and how these historical supply chains mirror modern ethical dilemmas in global commerce.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Edward Jones and AT&T Business
The challenge of finding enslaved people's clothing
Discovery of a fabric swatch in archival letters
Rhode Island manufacturers and the rise of Negro cloth
Enslaved influence on clothing and North-South interdependence
New England's economic complicity in slavery
Sponsors: Claude, Article, and Progressive
Hybrid production methods and racial labeling of goods
Moral awareness of New England workers and manufacturers
Philanthropy, prosperity, and the 'slave shoe' dilemma
Manufacturers' naive hopes for post-emancipation markets
Modern parallels: Global supply chains and ethical consumption
Credits and sponsors: Power Home Remodeling and SimpliSafe
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