On Finding Smoke Town, a Late Eighteenth to Mid-Nineteenth Century, Rural Free Black Community Populated in Circa 1791 by Some of the 452 Manumitted Slaves of Robert Carter III

Summary

This paper discusses the findings of initial excavation of a portion of the elusive rural free black community cartographically known as Smoke Town or Leeds Town, situated on the Shenandoah River, Warren County, Virginia. This community was populated by some of the 452 slaves manumitted by Robert Carter III by his Deed of Gift of 1791. Robert Carter III was an affluent grandson of Robert ‘King’ Carter. This Deed of Gift was the largest single manumission of slaves in America until the American Civil War – an event, of which few are aware. The excavated portion of Smoke Town dates from late eighteenth to the mid-nineteenth century. There are also prehistoric components to the site from the Late Archaic and the Early Woodland periods: An Early Woodland prehistoric hearth was found partially within the historic period fireplace and below the historic period chimney foundation. The physical evidence of the site is introduced and the excavation procedures and results used in the interpretations are presented. Discovery came as the result of two archaeological metal detecting surveys, reconnaissance and systematic. Excavations illuminate manners in which newly freed slaves of African descent conducted their lives, in contrast to plantation slave lifeways.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 17679