Reply to the following:
 
>>   I would like to thank Linda for taking the time to type out
>>the newspaper piece on the life of slaves in Alabama as it was
>>fascinating. The one question that comes to mind is how
>>reliable any account is it ? It comes across as a good piece of
>>propaganda, especially as it refers to the European peasant and
>>his lot. Also is there any archaeological evidence from Alabama
>>or locally that indicates what luxuries the slaves were
>>purchasing ?
 
>>                   Susan
 
Well, of course its propaganda....that's why us archaeologists are so very
valuable, right? to reveal the democracy of garbage over the evils of
biased historical records! ( hey, I've got my tongue firmly planted in my
cheek, so no nasty "armchair" historian email, o.k.)
 
Actually, I believe that, as HISTORICAL archaeologists, we should be able
to intelligently consider any possible bias, predict how it may effect the
document, and then use the data that is left around the "infected part"
---  Similar to interpreting an archaeological strata, floor or interface,
after excavating out a later intrusion.  Just because a document is biased
doesn't mean we can't find some of the information contained within it
useful. (of course I believe in plowzone archaeology too)
 
Susan, you asked about archaeological evidence of the luxuries the slaves
were buying in Alabama.  Sorry to say, I can't cite anything for you  and
was going to refer to Barbara Heath, but I see that she has already
responded to your inquiry.   And Barbara,  thanks for  giving us a few
archaeological manifestations to look for.  My problem, however, is that
I'm working on a town site, and the enslaved population appears to have for
the most part, lived right  up "under the armpits"  (so to speak) of the
white families.  So on any given lot, it is very hard to identify whose
yard space, garden, shed  or general stuff, I'm looking at.   Does anyone
have  any ideas about how to deal with this?
 
This problem is making it very hard to resist that old paternalistic model
of the one big (happy?) family consisting of both Blacks and Whites.
 
Barbara mentioned her and Ann Smarts work with account books.  I've found
that court records have a good deal of information also.  Testimony taken
during trials often describes where slaves were, what they were doing and
why.  I've found accounts of slaves boarding steam boats, traveling
hundreds of miles down river to Mobile or New Orleans, purchasing large
ticket items, like a rocking chair and having it shipped back up to Cahawba
to impress a pretty girl.  Usually these instances were about skilled
artisans and almost always about a male who hired out his own time.
 
The most intriguing reference I've seen several times in the court records
is one about "Jewish Pedlars."  These traveling peddlers traveled to
plantations and sold directly to the enslaved laborers.  Apparently, this
was illegal but everyone was aware of it and looked the other way (although
it was fairly acceptable for the young white men to harass these peddlers
for "sport.").  Does anyone know of any ledgers or other documents that
refer specifically to these "Jewish Pedlars?"  One of their account books
would really give us an insight into this specific market.
 
Well, enough rambling....
Linda Derry
Old Cahawba Archaeological Park, Alabama
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