Existing comment:
Slave Life:
Little written documentation exists about slave life at The Hermitage. However, over thirty years of archeological work at the slaves' dwellings and worksites, as well as careful analysis of the written records, has provided much knowledge about the daily lives of the enslaved. Excavations in and around these cabins provided information about aspects of their lives as slaves, as Jackson's laborers, and as individuals and families, especially those aspects of their lives where they had some control and choice. Although archeology tells little about how the dwellings were furnished, the things the slaves left behind from their daily lives tell much about the way they lived. Bones from fish and domestic and wild animals as well as guns, knives, and fishing hooks suggest that the slaves hunted and fished for themselves in addition to eating the pork, cornmeal, and potatoes supplied by the Jacksons. The presence of coins and written records of payments to certain slaves show that they had money and therefore could buy and sell things for themselves. They accumulated numerous possessions and probably traded with slaves from other plantations. Jackson provided medical treatment by physicians and medicines for illnesses. The architectural and archaeological evidence suggests Jackson offered adequate food and shelter to his slaves. However, this same evidence reveals the fate of a people who were denied the basic freedoms our nation values. |