Slave Foodways at James Madison’s Montpelier A.D. 1810- 1830

Summary

Based primarily on similarities in occupation, the enslaved population at Montpelier formed distinct enclaves within the plantation, both spatially and within the hierarchy of the operation of the plantation. While food rations at Montpelier were nominally the same for each of these groups, position within the plantation hierarchy created differing opportunity to supplement those rations through access to both the Madison’s themselves and to the means to acquire wild game. Zooarchaeological analysis of faunal remains recovered by the Montpelier Foundation identifies variability in access to various sources of meat amongst the slave groups at James Madison’s Montpelier plantation. Preliminary analysis suggests that skilled laborers had a diverse diet similar to that of the Madison’s themselves, while domestic and field slaves were restricted largely to meats provided through the plantation’s provisioning system.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Bringing back the Community: Archaeology of an Early 19th Century Enslaved Community at James Madison’s Montpelier in Orange County Virginia   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2015

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 270