Hidden Lives: The Archaeology of Slave Life at Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest

Abstract

Hidden Lives: Archeology of Slave Life at Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest. By Barbara J. Heath. (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1999. Pp. x, 81. Illustrations. $12.50.) In Hidden Lives, Barbara J. Heath employs the tools of archaeology to reconstruct the lives of the slaves at Poplar Forest, one of several plantations owned by Thomas Jefferson. From settlement pattern and material remains unearthed by archaeological excavation, Heath offers the reader a synthesis of slave life at Poplar Forest from the 1770s to the 1820s. From fragments of animal bones, glass, ceramics, iron, and wood to the remnants of slave cabins, she weaves a fascinating narrative covering the material culture of the slaves, assessing how these slaves crafted a lifestyle that was largely shaped and conditioned by their beliefs, work patterns, and by the will and whim of their owner. Relying solely or primarily on written sources to reconstruct the life experience of slaves poses many problems. A major drawback is that such documents are often the biased recordings of slave owners and nonslave holders who rarely displayed any real understanding or a fair assessment of the culture and daily life of the slaves. The paucity of written documents by slaves detailing their everyday activities is another hindrance. Thus, scholars must turn to other techniques and fields of inquiry to enhance our understanding of the slave experience. Applying the techniques of disciplines such as archaeology is one way of giving a voice to persons who left so little in written form. Because archaeology is concerned primarily with the study of human material remains, it provides scholars with important tools for reconstructing, as nearly as possible, the lives of the slaves. Through the examination of the artifacts that were made and used by people, scholars can answer questions on what, when, how, and why societies, in this case one slave community at Poplar Forest, changed over a period of time, and thereby enhance our understanding of their history. In the introductory chapters, Heath provides a useful overview of the background of the Poplar Forest plantation. With the use of maps and illustrations, she details the location and size of the plantation, discusses how Thomas Jefferson came to acquire ownership of the property and the slaves, and explains why an excavation at Poplar Forest, now a private museum, was undertaken. Relying primarily on Jefferson's writings, and when possible, supporting the written data with archaeological findings, Heath in chapter three chronicles the story of the slaves, explores some of the contradictions inherent in the institution of slavery, and touches on Jefferson's ambiguous relationship with his slaves. The story of the slaves at Poplar Forest is historically significant, for they were the property of the very statesman who so eloquently defended the doctrine espousing liberty as the fundamental right of mankind. But Jefferson's personal actions and his philosophical principles remained at odds; though an ardent supporter of the principles of natural rights of freedom, he continued to deny the same to his numerous slaves. …

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