The South Carolina State Museum recently acquired a rare bible dating back to 1815 and owned by William Turpin, a merchant and enslaver turned abolitionist.
What makes this object such an important addition to the museum’s collection? Inside the front cover is a handwritten list of 31 enslaved people Turpin freed between 1807 and 1826. According to Turpin scholar David Dangerfield, “I’ve never seen so many people emancipated by an individual or partnership.”
