DECEMBER 2 & 9: CHRISTMAS 1860 AT THE EDMONDSTON-ALSTON HOUSE
December 2nd and 9th,
6:30-8:30PM
Christmas 1860 is a theatrical event that explores the Christmas season that occurred five days after the signing, in Charleston, of the Ordinance of Secession. The event, now in its tenth year, demonstrates multiple perspectives on secession, the coming war, and 19th century Christmas traditions. Audience participants see trained historians and actors portray Alston family members, both in favor and against secession. They learn about the slave community and how enslaved people had their own Christmas celebrations with family. The perspective of women is an important component of the story as Emma Alston’s early predictions of a bloody war proved to be accurate. Young actors portray Alston children and historical interpreters complete the story by recounting the loss of life within the extended Alston family as a result of the war that started, virtually, on the eve of Christmas 1860. All the theatrical skits that are performed are based on research and documentation. The vast collection of Alston family letters was extensively mined for actual quotes used in the scripts.
The Middleton Place Foundation has a long history interpreting the lives of the enslaved people that lived at Middleton Place and how they coped, survived and made significant contributions to the world in which they lived. Christmas 1860 builds on that work that continues to focus on our shared history. We deeply regret that the Foundation’s marketing communications have suggested something other than a sincere effort to present a narrative that provides insights into the experience of enslaved Africans as well as the slave owners that held them in bondage. It portrays a critical time in the nation’s history: the months leading up to the Civil War, arguably the most significant event in the history of the United States. We acknowledge that the photo choice and language used on the Foundation’s website and marketing materials, while meant to be historically accurate, have proven to be painful to some who have seen them. We have taken and will continue to take steps that will make clear that the Christmas 1860 event will provide an historically accurate depiction of a part of Charleston’s life in the days leading up to the Civil War. The Middleton Place Foundation remains committed to sharing with visitors to the Edmondston-Alston House and Middleton Place the truth, as best we can understand it through dedicated and thorough research, about how Charlestonians, black and white, lived their lives centuries ago.
December 2 & 9 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.