"I WAS born June 15, 1789, in Charles County, Maryland…" Archaeological Investigations at the Josiah Henson Birthplace Site
Author(s): Rebecca Webster
Year: 2018
Summary
In his 1849 autobiography, Josiah Henson, a former slave, preacher, and conductor on the Underground Railroad, recounted a single, brutal event that occurred at La Grange, the plantation on which he was born. Henson’s account related little about everyday life for the enslaved families at La Grange. In 2016, archaeologists from St. Mary’s College of Maryland undertook a Phase I survey at La Grange. A quarter complex and several individual quarters were discovered during the survey. These discoveries along with the close readings of the historical documents, including Henson’s autobiography, reveal the landscape Henson’s family and other enslaved households created, navigated, and integrated with the wider plantation landscape at La Grange.
Cite this Record
"I WAS born June 15, 1789, in Charles County, Maryland…" Archaeological Investigations at the Josiah Henson Birthplace Site. Rebecca Webster. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018 ( tDAR id: 441354)
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Keywords
General
Josiah Henson
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Landscape
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Slavery
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
Temporal Keywords
Late 18th and 19th century
Spatial Coverage
min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): 532