Iron handcuffs possibly used as slave shackles and reputed to be from the Patty Cannon house located in Reliance, Maryland. By their nature, handcuffs are inherently violent tools. In the context of slavery and servitude, shackles such as these were common devices used to capture and bind enslaved people.
These shackles are rumored to be from the estate of Patty Cannon, who is considered one of the most nefarious figures in American history for her role in the illegal slave trade, kidnapping, and the murders of free Black men, women, and children.The harrowing history and presumed function of these 19th-century shackles expose the unmentionable horrors that transpired in the Delmarva region.
