Alisha Marie Topete Cromwell | History and Legacy of Black Entrepreneurship in the United States

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a new technological tool that allows for the recreation of textual data into a visual interpretation via a digital mapping program. GIS mapping provides modern day audiences with a different way to physically view how historical places and peoples have changed over time.
For this project, Dr. Cromwell collected data about women of color who were listed as independent businessowners in the 1855 Charleston City Directory. She then mapped their locations in GIS to provide a graphic dataset of where these women and their businesses where physically located throughout the city. Her GIS map revealed a group of 53 skilled women who participated in various industries throughout Antebellum Charleston.
From well-known pastry chefs to hardworking washerwomen, the existence of these businesswomen challenges older historiographies of a “domestic sphere” and provides a more intersectional interpretation of female entrepreneurship in the Antebellum South.
This session was recorded on April 5, 2024.
Join the conversation as we bring together scholars and academics from institutions around the country to share out their research in a discussion-based forum. By studying the history of Black entrepreneurship and innovation, we can gain an understanding of the creative strategies these entrepreneurs employed to succeed.
Learn more about the History and Legacy of Black Entrepreneurship in the United States series at kellercenter.p...
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