KatJorgensen
ProfessorRainville
AmericanEconomies in the 19th century
8October 2012
Historical to both Sweet Briarhistory and the history of America's enslaved population, the Slave Cabin atSweet Briar College is a crucial dwelling in the understanding of culture during America's slavery period. Thiscabin's history has spanned from 1880 to present day and the cabin has served avariety of purposes. With the wide array of inhabitants and functions, thecabin has been valued differently by different members of the community andsociety as a whole. As the cabin entersa new era, the idea of the perception of value by the Sweet briar community andthe community must be considered in order to fully promote and understand thehistory of the cabin and those connected to this dwelling.
Before attending Sweet Briar andlearning about the history of the campus I had no concrete knowledge about theslave cabin or the plantation itself. I simply knew the story of Daisy and thatthe campus used to be a plantation that relied upon the labor of slaves. Before viewing the cabin I anticipated thatthe cabin would be smaller in size and not as well structured or in as good ofcondition. The fact that the cabin has a stone foundation and was completelystanding was shocking. Additionally,from my prior research about slavery in general, I was surprised by the cabinsclose proximity to the plantation house as my understanding has been that theplantation house was typically some distance from the cabins to enforce thesuperiority complex. Although I had donesome research about slavery and used primary sources in my investigations,before this class I had little knowledge about the history of Sweet Briar'sslave cabin and the history of the enslaved population on this campus.
After having explored the history ofthe cabin, I believe that the future of the cabin is reliant upon a return toits past. Although the cabin has playeda critical role in the history of the college by serving as a coffee shop,alumni office and a variety of other purposes, I believe that with the increasedawareness of the past and slavery by the college and American society ingeneral, the cabin should be restored to a state similar to that of when it wasa slave cabin. In the academic world, the cabin would be most valued in its originalstate as students could experience the conditions of slavery in a very hands-onmethod. Additionally, American societyis currently starting to investigate and discuss its involvement with the"peculiar institution," and by restoring the cabin, students andmembers of the community would be given another resource in their endeavors. Byrestoring the cabin, the value of the cabin would rest upon recognition of theenslaved members of the community that laid the foundation for the college and not solely upon what officeor commodity was being house within that building. Restoration enhances thesentimental value of the building and also provides students the opportunitiesto explore local history.
As a restored slave cabin, studentsshould be encouraged, both in the academic world and social landscape, toexplore the history of the plantation and slavery. Endorsing and running a program similar tothat of the Slave Dwelling Project where students could spend a night sleepingin the cabin and experience the culture and lifestyle associated with slaverywould encourage use of the cabin while also providing valuable experiences.
Concerning the enslaved populationat Sweet Briar, I am most curious about where the other slave cabins werelocated and what condition they were in during the slavery era. Additionally,the size of the original slave structure seems fairly large in comparison andits proximity to the plantation house makes me wonder if slaves that lived inthat cabin were favored and had better living conditions than their companions.Additionally, investigations of the slave burial grounds would also beinteresting to both the history of the plantations but also the student body asthe burial grounds are commonly visited. In general, I think that the college shouldattempt to investigate the layout of the plantation and the particular cultureand traditions of the slave community at Sweet Briar Plantation.
By performing more studies that investigatethe history of the enslaved populations, pertaining to both the cabin and otheraspects of the enslaved community, the interest of the student body would be sparkedespecially if these findings were shared with the community outside of thecampus. The campus should also offerorganized events that explore the history of the campus and plantations and in thecase of a new find the campus should offer opportunities to students to help performinvestigations. If the students and the outside community were involved in therestoration and investigations into the plantation, the cabin and other sites pertainingto the history would have added value.
The history of the Sweet BriarPlantation is valuable to the student body and the restoration of the cabin toits original state would encourage students to experience firsthand the cultureand lifestyle of the oppressed population. Instead of simply leading tours and puttingon exhibitions, the college should lead investigative events and events thatallow students and the community to explore the culture and history firsthand.
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