The Intersecting Plantation Landscape II

Plantations dominated the landscape, economy and society of Virginia and Maryland from the mid-17th through the mid-19th century. Our recent panel at the Society of Early Americanists conference (see PlantationLandscapes.com) critically examined the intersection of plantations and urban centers, the interplay between church and manor, the influences and implementation of designed landscapes, and the dialog between land, labor, money and time, to better understand the synergies that created the American world. This complimentary panel shifts the focus from top-down elite planters’ perspective to the experiences of those many ordinary people-including slaves-who were equally fundamental to the plantation system, redefining the meaning and boundaries of plantation landscapes. Through diverse research methods and approaches, the participants extend their research towards the fundamental as well as the ephemeral intersections among people and place in the plantation landscape. The panelists will interpret the plantation in relation to the overarching themes of politics, economy, religion, and landscape design, to demonstrate the interconnectedness of these early American landscapes.