Dr. Keneman’s Student Projects
This semester, Dr. Margaret Keneman’s course on the French Culture in Charleston has given the students an opportunity to delve into the city’s history. This cohort has been a joy to work with as they have made visits to the society to conduct individual research on a Huguenot immigrant of their choosing. However, in addition to this research, they have been given the opportunity to work on unique assignments. This includes creating mock social media pages for Huguenot refugees, journal entries, and even studies on the fashions of the time.
One student created a drawing based on her interpretation of Judith Giton. Considering Giton’s socioeconomic status and the fashion of the time, the student stated, “Large sleeves with lace detail were common, as well as the long ‘v’ cut of the bodice […] Many gowns also had intricate patterns embroidered.” The student also completed this journal entry by drawing Giton’s potential style when she came to Carolina. Taking into account the daily tasks that she had to do and the styles of the period, Judith Giton is pictured wearing a wool dress and a bonnet. The drawings are pictured above.
Another student created a mock Instagram page for Daniel Huger. This page features a brief bio and images that chronicle Daniel Huger’s life, from the birth of his children, his marriage, the death of his wife, and moving to Charlestown. The bio of the page lists a bit about who Daniel Huger was stating, “Husband- Father- Huguenot,” and is completed with “Charles Towne.” Projects like these bring these early Carolinians to life for students in the present.
Dr. Keneman urged her students to consider what it would be like as a first generation Huguenot immigrant. Their lives were turned upside down when they fled the security of what once was a safe environment to practice their own religion. Families left behind everything that they knew in search of prosperity, safety, and religious freedom. One student, Raegan, took on this challenge of imagination and wrote a letter staging herself as a Huguenot who made landfall in the new colony of Carolina. This particular letter chronicles the raiding of Charleston by pirates. In the eighteenth century, Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet stormed the city looking for valuables and medical supplies. This encounter frightened many locals, and that is what is depicted in this letter.