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= Grace Wisher = Original Wiki of the Star Spangled Banner

Born 1800 - Unknown

Baltimore, Maryland

Early Life
Grace Wisher was a free Black American child born in Baltimore, Maryland often cited as the "African American indentured servant" who helped Mary Young Pickersgill create the Star Spangled Banner flag. Grace was born to Jenny Wisher, whom the circumstances of her freedom has not been certified as of yet. Though Jenny Wisher was freed from American chattel slavery and gave birth to Grace 75 years before the Emancipation Proclamation, the circumstances of which are unknown. By the time Grace was ten-years old, Baltimore had the largest free black population in the United States of America. refering this paper  <<  -- I : "The census of 1790 Baltimore (states) about eight thousand free colored persons lived in the State. Some of these, or their ancestors, had come as freemen, most had been manumitted."

Little is known why Grace Wisher became an orphan and later an indentured servant. Many have speculated that Grace Wisher's mother gave Grace up for adoption in hopes she can learn a new trade for many children of both the freed and enslaved black Maryland population were subject to apprenticeships and indentured servitude. "By 1789, the freedom of slaves by white owners stirred much controversy due to the increased population freed blacks. "One plan called for all female children (ages seven to fourteen) to be purchased by the state, serve as apprentices until twenty-five and then be granted full freedom." refering this paper  -- "Little is known why Grace Wisher became an orphan and later an indentured servant. Many have speculated that Grace Wisher's mother gave Grace up for adoption in hopes she can learn a new trade for many children of both the freed and enslaved black Maryland population were subject to apprenticeships and indentured servitude. "Grace Wisher was probably ten years old when she put her mark on her six-year indenture. jenny wisher, grace's mother received $12 from Mary Pickersgill at the signing of the indenture, with the promise of 12 more dollars in a year's time. grace promised to obey mary and serve her faithfully."

While there has been much controversy as to whether Grace Wisher was an indentured servant or a slave in the Pickersgill's home, a contract signed in the Orphans’ Court of Baltimore County, on January 6th 1810 confirms that Wisher was a free girl contracted to the Pickersgill family for a six-year indenture. While Mary Pickersgill did own a slave in 1810 whose name is unknown, Grace Wisher legally was not one of them. Much isn't known about Wisher outside of her six year indenture at the Pickersgill home.

new references:

William Calderhead, “Slavery in Maryland in the Age of the Revolution, 1775-1790,” Maryland Historical Magazine 98, no. 1 (Spring 2003), 305.

James M. Wright, The Free Negro in Maryland, 1634-1860 (NY: Columbia University, 1971), 200.

The American Flag & the Pickersgill family
Wisher became indentured to the Pickersgill family when she was 10 years old? on January 6th 1810 as assigned by the Orphans’ Court of Baltimore 1809. Having been only 13 years old at the time, Grace Wisher worked in the Pickersgill home in a six year tenure in what is today known as the Star Spangled Banner Flag House. Mary Pickersgill was a seamstress commonly known as the the creator of the Star Spangled Banner flag. On Grace's 3rd year of living in the Pickersgill home she was assigned to help assist in the creation of the new American flag. Mary Young Pickersgill was contracted by Major George Armistead to sew a flag large enough to be seen .... for the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. Though the Mary, her two niceces and mother, Rebecca Flowers became known as the entreupreurs who created the Star Spangled Banner flag CITE, Wisher's contribution and life history is solemnly/hardly mentioned in historical texts about the American flag. While the extent to each person's contribution is not known, Wisher living and working in the Pickersgill home during the time of creating the flag. A “Baltimore Census of 1810” revealed that Grace Wisher lived in the home of the Pickersgill family at 30 Albemarle Street, known today as the Star Spangled Banner museum House. Mary Pickersgill's grandmother Rebecca Flowers created the flag of the American Revolution.

Though much isn't known about Grace Wisher or her whereabouts after her six year tenure with the Pickersgill family. Sources ? state that once Caroline Pickersgill took over her mother's business in x year, Grace was placed in her care. After receiving notability for having created the Star Spangled Banner, Caroline/Mary (which one?) Pickersgill used her new fortune to buy four additional slaves named Jane, Emily, Julia and Maurice.

Baltimore Orphan/Indentured Servant Contract: Contract as written from the Grace Wisher’s Indenture, Orphans’ Court of Baltimore County, Jan. 6 1810: (page 18 – 20 pf mary Young Pickersgill Flag Maker of the Star-Spangled Banner) ==== "This Indenture Witnesseth that Grace Wisher a free Girl of Colour, hath put herself and by and with the consent and approbation of her mother Jenny Wisher doth voluntarily and of her own free will and accord put herself to Mrs. Mary Pickersgill to lean the art of mystery of Housework and plain sewing after the manner of apprentice to serve the said Mary Pickersgill from the day of the date hereof and during and to the full end and term of Six years next ensuing. During all which Term the said apprentice her said Mistress faithfully shall serve, her secrets keep, her lawful commands every at all times readily obey, she shall do no Damage to her said Mistress nor see or suffer it to be done by others without giving notice thereof to her said Mistress. She shall not waste her said Mistress Goods nor lend them lawfully to any she shall not contract Matrimony within the said Term, without license from her said Mistress. She shall neither buy nor sell, she shall not absent herself day nor night from her said Mistresses service without leave, but in all things behave herself as a good and faithful apprentice ought to do, during the said Term, and the said Mistress on her part shall use the utmost of her Endeavour to teach or cause to be taught or instructed the said apprentice the art of Housework and plain sewing, or needle work, and provide for her sufficient meat drink cloathing washing & Lodging, suitable for such an apprentice during the term aforesaid, and at the Experation of said Term Customary freedom dues and it is agreed between the said Jenny Wisher and the said Mary Pickersgill that the said Mary shall advance to the said Jenny twelve dollars at the time of executing these presents, out of which sum the said Jenny is to purchase for the apprentice Grace Wisher a dress of Baize cloth or at the end a Term of twelve months from the date hereof to pay the said Jenny Wisher a further sum of twelve Dollars deducting so much therefrom as may be necessary for the comfortable cloathing of said apprentice, particular bills or accounts whereof are to be furnished by the said Mary Pickersgill and for the true performance full and singular the covenants and agreements aforesaid, the parties bind themselves to each other firmly by these presents, in witness whereof the said parties have interchangeably set their hands and seals this Sixteenth day of December 1809. ==== Subscribed and acknowledged before Mary Pickersgill

Thomas Baily, a Justice of the Peace Jenny Wisher (her mark)

For Baltimore County Grace Wisher (her mark)

Approved and ordered to be Recorded by the Orphans Court of Baltimore County this 6th day of January 1810 Same day Recorded

Examined by Wm. Buchanan, Reg.

Baltimore 16th of December 1809 Receive of Mrs. Mary Pickersgill the sum of twelve dollars including the Baize Dress, being the consideration within mentioned to be paid to me in advance,

Jenny Wisher (her mark)

Test, Tho. Bailey

Popular Culture & Art
In an attempt to tell the hidden story about Grace Wisher's contribution to the American flag, many children's books authors have retold her story through a fictional lens. Author Lisa Grace wrote a children’s book titled, The 15th Star which is seeks to retell the story of the American flag through Wisher’s eyes. While Lisa states that The 15th Star is meant to be based off "historical fiction", the story however inaccurately describes Wisher escaping from a plantation and finding herself onto Mary Pickersgill’s plantation which has been disproven through Wisher's indentured servant contract.

In 2014, Michelle Joan Wilkinson (author & scholar) curated an exhibition with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in titled For Whom It Stands: The Flag and the American People which explored the relationship between the American flag and Black Americans, particularly Descendants of American Chattel Slavery. Asantewa Boakyewa, curator of the Richard F. Lewis Museum stated, "It’s important, we feel as a museum, to exhibit this exhibition now because of the 200th anniversary of the Star-Spangled Banner Flag. Not many Americans know that there was an African-American girl named Grace Wisher, who was 13 years old, an indentured servant in the household of Mary Pickersgill, who was the Star-Spangled Banner Flag maker." Wilkinson along with several other scholars wrote a book titled after the exhibition which kicks off with a conversation about Grace Wisher and her solemnly forgotten contribution to the American flag.

Another children's book that includes grace wisher as a side charcter : http://www.kristenfulton.org/explore-nf

Citations:
- Glass, Brent D. “The Star-Spangled Banner Flies High, Shining New Light on American History.” Phi Kappa Phi Forum, vol. 89, no. 2, Summer 2009, pp. 12–13. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=44254046&site=eds-live. - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/star-spangled-banner-back-on-display-83229098/

- READ THIS: https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2007-02-04-0701270073-story.html

- The Negro In Maryland: A Study of The Institution of Slavery -- ca be found in the FIU Green Library  E 445.M3.B7.1969


 * “The Plummer Family and Slavery in Maryland.” Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, 2018, anacostia.si.edu/exhibits/Plummer/Docs/JKWright_Paper.pdf.
 * William Calderhead, “Slavery in Maryland in the Age of the Revolution, 1775-1790,” Maryland Historical Magazine 98, no. 1 (Spring 2003), 305.
 * James M. Wright, The Free Negro in Maryland, 1634-1860 (NY: Columbia University, 1971), 200.