Existing comment:
The Hermitage Landscape. 1804-1821:
When Jackson lived in the log farmhouse, the surrounding plantation landscape buzzed with activity, sounds, and smells. The cramped housing for both whites and blacks forced them outdoors for work and relaxation. Here slaves cooked and stored food, did chores, and socialized. Archeological evidence shows that the slaves kept the work yard between the farmhouse and kitchen swept clean of grass and debris, an African cultural tradition brought to America. While Jackson lived in the log farmhouse, he planted 100 or more acres of cotton every year along with corn and other crops to feed his livestock, plus vegetable gardens for his family and slaves.
As Jackson's finances improved, additional slave cabins and new agricultural buildings dotted the Hermitage landscape. In the first three years after moving to The Hermitage, Jackson built a 125-gallon corn whiskey distillery and a cotton gin and press that brought him extra income. |