
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
A richly imagined, photo illustrated narrative of 150 years of life in slavery on tobacco plantations in Southern Maryland
For over 165 years, plantation owners in Southern Maryland depended on the labor of enslaved men, women, and children to bring in the tobacco crop. The photographs and stories in this book grew out of the author's quest to understand how these people, who were subjected to a system that made every attempt to brutalize and dehumanize them, were able not only to survive but to build families and meaningful lives. Author Merideth Taylor has created a credible, well-researched, richly imagined world that is both informative and moving. The traditional central figure and linear plot of the novel has been replaced by an interwoven collage of scenes and community of characters, that reflect the diversity of experience, "silences," and incompleteness of the historical record. Her choice to largely avoid graphic depictions of the violence perpetrated on enslaved bodies allows the reader to focus, instead, on the remarkable resilience, ingenuity, skills, and cultural strengths that enabled them to make a way out of no way.
Author royalties will be donated to Historic Sotterley's Descendant's Project.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Epigraph
- Slaveships
- Foreword
- Preface
- Introduction
- Arrival
- Tobacco
- Hoe
- Water Boy
- Plowman
- Fence Building
- Blacksmith
- Poaching
- Milking Time
- Wine Cellar
- Smokehouse
- Laundry
- Hog Slops
- Gamecock Trainer
- Killing Crows
- Running
- Midwife
- Hen Yard
- Hiring Day
- Nanny
- Hostler
- The Drum
- News
- The Ploy
- The Informant
- The Pox
- Horns
- Axman
- Cutting Barley
- Woodworker
- The Whipping
- The Potion
- Astronomy Lesson
- Ghost Pipe
- Yellow Fever
- War Coming
- Redcoats!
- Escape
- The Rattle
- Clearing Table
- Patting Juba
- Ironing
- Butchering
- Gardener
- The Stain
- Married!
- Fiddler
- Chambermaid
- Seamstress
- Stables
- Plasterer
- Upstairs Maid
- The Funeral
- Hoe Woman
- Cooper
- Sparrow Eggs
- A Poisoning
- Healer
- Schoolroom
- Easter
- Fire
- Master’s Child
- Weaver
- Preacher
- Bricklayer
- Mating
- Butterfly
- The Dance
- Slowdown
- Willow Switches
- Freedom Papers
- Reading Ashes
- Harvest Time
- Jailed
- Corn Shucking
- Hummingbird
- Warning
- Slipped Away
- Too Late
- Sick-out
- Tonging for Oysters
- Snow
- Banjo
- Larkspur Seed
- Yankees!
- Special Sauce
- Jubilee
- Free
- Afterword
- Acknowledgments
- About the Photographs
- Contributing Writers
- About the Author/Photographer