The Secret Trust of Aspasia Cruvellier Mirault: The Life and Trials of a Free Woman of Color in Antebellum Georgia

by Janice L. Sumler-Edmond

In this fascinating biography set in nineteenth-century Savannah, Georgia, Janice L. Sumler-Edmond resurrects the life and times of Aspasia Cruvellier Mirault, a free woman of color whose story was until now lost to historical memory. It’s a story that informs our understanding of the antebellum South as we watch this widowed matriarch navigate the social, economic, and political complexities to create a legacy for her family.

180 pages, Hardcover

First published July 10, 2008

Reviews

[Aspasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book that was reviewed in the Fall 2010 issue of "The Georgia Historical Quarterly." I mainly want to read it because she has my name!


The author adds a lot of historical detail that adds flesh to Aspasia's story. As a free black woman in pre-Civil War Savannah, Aspasia could own a business but not own property. She entered into a secret trust agreement with a white man named George Cally. Aspasia gave Cally money to buy property in Savannah. Even though the paperwork claimed that Cally was the owner, Aspasia was the rightful owner. Three decades later the deal turns sour and the author brings out detailed information about all the parties involved.