Corncob Doll

Enslaved children's playthings were often handmade by the child or other family members. Toys were sometimes cobbled together from everyday scraps and bits of fabric on hand. This doll, representing an African American slave or servant, is made of a corncob and fabric scraps (GLC09188). It probably dates to the 1860s and is an example of the ingenuity slaves used to create amusements for their children.

The experiences of enslaved children varied greatly depending upon the disposition of their owners and whether they lived on a plantation or in a city. Some were treated well, received ample clothing and shelter, and were able to live with their parents. Others barely received the necessities of life and were separated from their families by sale or purchase. They sometimes served as playmates for their owner's children, ran errands, and assisted with domestic chores. However, their childhoods did not last long. Owners had a vested interest in speeding up the process into adulthood. Parents sought to extend the childhood of their offspring and provide them with some pleasures despite their small means. This handmade doll can be seen as a symbol of that desire.

Marisa Morigi
Deputy Curator
The Gilder Lehrman Collection

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GLC09188: Corncob Doll, Object, 1860s.

For more information or to obtain copies, contact Alyson Barrett at reference@gilderlehrman.com or call (212) 787-6616 ext. 209.

Schwartz, Marie Jenkins. Born in Bondage: Growing Up Enslaved in the Antebellum South. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2000.

King, Wilma. Stolen Childhood: Slave Youth in Nineteenth Century America. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1995.

Mintz, Steven. African American Voices: The Life Cycle of Slavery. St. James, New York: Brandywine Press, 1993.