Black Consumerism, Social Life, and a Rising Middle Class in 19th-Century New Jersey

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Archaeology of Marginalization and Resilience in the Northeast", at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

References to the Black community living along Dunkerhook Road in late 19th and early 20th century Bergen County, NJ newspapers often provided a narrow and paternalistic lens through which to view the community. Commonly reported were their social and church activities, and two residents of the road, Catherine Bennett and her husband Ben, were notably mentioned. Using the ceramic assemblage from the Bennett’s former house, this paper speculates how the Black family mediated class and race in a racially stratified society. The assemblage pattern suggests the Bennetts participated in an emergent consumer culture, signaling to others their rise into the middle class. Additionally, decorative teawares indicate the Bennetts emphasized social rituals tied to their visibility. This paper argues that middle-class status was one strategy Black Americans used to divert scrutiny from white society, portray respectability, and thus provide security for their community.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2024   •
• Archaeology of Marginalization and Resilience in the Northeast

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow