Day 3 / Tuesday, July 10
“Slaves may have come empty handed, but not empty headed.” —Dr. Rex Ellis
Educators in a living tableau
Click on any photo to enlarge
Today began early at the Woodlands Hotel in Williamsburg, Virginia. We gathered in the lobby to meet Darci Tucker, our colonial life expert and tour guide extraordinaire. Our first activity of the day was a series of activities and lessons that could be used in the classroom. Darci began with a brief overview of major concepts relating to African-Americans in 18th century Virginia. From there, she took an amazing approach to bringing this information to life in the classroom. Darci showed us a painting that had been done that showed several white men, and a child, capturing and binding Africans. Our first task was to simply state what we saw in the picture, then to go deeper and make inferences as to what we saw. The culminating activity involved several volunteers mimicking the stances and expressions of the people in the painting. At this point, Darci pretended to be a news reporter on the scene of the event and asked each person what they were doing and why. What a great activity to get kids thinking, moving, and analyzing! (See the accompanying photo to illustrate our teachers in action for this activity.)
Spring boarding from that wonderful activity, which many of us plan to incorporate into our classrooms, we did a case study of Matthew Ashby. Each group was given one specific primary document and asked to figure out who this man was. It was not until all the pieces came together that we could really see who he was, how he lived, died, and why he took some of the precautions he took to keep his family safe after his death. In the end, Ashby turned out to be a free black in colonial Williamsburg who had some very high connections to the governing council!
Learning about tobacco production in Williamsburg
A re-created slave cabin
Our next stop took us back in time to the life of a rural slave. We got to explore a tobacco crop and talk to an agricultural expert who explained the tasks slaves would have had to do in order to produce a fruitful crop. From the field we walked over to the corn house to speak to a colonial carpenter, Steven. He told us about the skilled labor many slaves were trained to do. He discussed how many slaves were taught skills so that they could be hired out to earn even more income for their master. Our final, and by far most poignant stop, was the slave quarters. Once inside the structure, with approximately 20 people, our guide, Jason, closed the door. As we stood in the crowded room and experienced the full effects of the blistering heat of July, our guide spoke of how anywhere from 10–20 slaves may have lived in one such cabin. They would typically sleep on the floor, or wherever they found space. He also showed us items that would have been typical in slave quarters. One of the most touching items was a piece of mirrored glass. Jason explained how something as simple as a piece of mirrored glass could be used to show a young slave who they were, and give them an identity by simply witnessing their own reflection. When we went outside we saw a small chicken coop and vegetable garden. Jason described to us how many slaves used agricultural techniques brought from their home country to cultivate foods typically not found in America.
From there we followed Darci to Chowning’s Tavern. On our walk to the tavern we participated in a call and response song that slaves used to sing while working in the fields. We discussed how coded messages could be imbedded in the lyrics of the songs and how the songs were used in slave life. When we reached the tavern, we enjoyed a delicious lunch and a short break from the hot day.
Role-playing inside the Peyton Randolph House
After lunch, we headed to the Peyton Randolph House where we were given a tour of the property and learned about the lives of Peyton Randolph’s urban slaves. We discussed their many duties including kindling the fire, cooking, laundry, tending to the master and his family, answering the door, and cleaning. We were given the opportunity to see a colonial kitchen and typical food that would be cooked. We also had a chance to discuss the history of the Randolph house as well as Mr. Randolph himself. The most intriguing part of the tour was that each of us got to take on the role of an authentic slave in the Randolph household. This association helped us to better picture the plight of bondsmen in the urban setting.
Colonel Washington with Anna Green and Jasper Colt
Upon leaving the house, we were given an hour to explore Williamsburg. We all set off in a variety of directions, some finding a cool place to rest, while others continued their exploration of Williamsburg. At three, we reconvened at the Mary Stith Shop to meet the honorable George Washington portrayed by Ron Carnegie. He spoke of his position on slavery and very kindly answered many of our questions, even though some put him in quite a quandary. When the actor stepped out of his role, he was better able to delve into various periods in Washington’s life that related to slavery. One of the most interesting facts brought up during our discussion was that George Washington said he would never sell a slave unless he was forced to. Adam Goodheart immediately brought up the fact that Washington did in fact sell one of his slaves, and in essence, condemned the slave to death. When the actor stepped out of character he addressed this fact and provided us with a wealth of information about George Washington and his interaction with slaves. These issues were confounding back in colonial history, and are still difficult to discuss even today.
The rhythms of Dr. Rex Ellis
Sensing our exhaustion from the heat, Darci thoughtfully arranged for us to be shuttled to the Bruton Heights School, where we met Dr. Rex Ellis. Dr. Ellis gave us a choice of examining primary source documents or discussing the role of music in the lives of slaves. We all jumped at the chance to talk more about music (I think we are all still moved by the performance of Sombarkin on Day One). Several brave volunteers went up to play Gahu, a rhythm that comes from the Eva people of Ghana. While Dr. Ellis was taught the rhythms, he also discussed how music was a common ground for slaves. Because slaves came from different tribes they could not always communicate with one another. Thus, they used music to communicate, establish bonds, and to establish their own identities. Music was a liberator; although the slaves were not free, they were able to play music for themselves and in doing so they could find some joy and some freedom. Each musician plays his or her own beat as a symbol of doing something solely for themselves, which was understandably very valuable to a slave.
Dr. Ellis was a fantastic speaker and he said something that stuck with us well into the evening. He said slaves may have come empty handed, but they were not empty headed. I thought back to what Jason had said about the slaves cultivating new crops and using techniques brought from their own countries. After what we saw today many of us educators plan to make sure that concept comes through loud and clear to our students. While the slaves were often kept in horrible situations, they still rose above and used what they knew to help them survive.
We ended our day with dinner at Christiana Campbell’s Tavern, and after dinner, we were given the opportunity to explore Williamsburg and to get ourselves ready for our adventure at sea tomorrow. Williamsburg was a wonderful place and we all learned a great deal from our fascinating guides and speakers. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s exciting update!
A Chesapeake Journey: From Slavery to Freedom