An archaeological view of slavery and social relations at Rock Hall, Lawrence, New York
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2013
Journal / Book Title
Long Island History Journal
Abstract
The 1790 federal census recorded seventeen enslaved Africans living at Rock Hall Manor in Lawrence, New York, the largest number recorded for a single household in Queens County. Built in the 1760s by the Martin family, who moved from Antigua where they owned sugar plantations and dozens of captive Africans, Rock Hall reveals interesting details about the living arrangements and cultural practices of slaves in early New York. This paper reviews a decade of historical and archaeological research at the site, which indicates that master-slave relationships there were less segregated than expected. Drawing especially on a set of provocative discoveries in the west yard at Rock Hall, the data suggests that African slaves actively participated in the construction and culture of the household rather than merely living and working there.
MSU Digital Commons Citation
Rava, Ross Thomas and Matthews, Christopher N., "An archaeological view of slavery and social relations at Rock Hall, Lawrence, New York" (2013). Department of Anthropology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 71.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/anthropology-facpubs/71