The Culture

The Culture. . , Despite long hours of work, slaves were able to make time for family and religion, further developing their own culture., The plants that were found and used on the Underground Railroad are as unknown as the secret routes that remain to be researched. This is only a small mention of a few, other plants and herbs found in this area include: shallots, garlic, pepper grass, camphor, dandelion, turnip, mustard, mint and pecan., Inset Captions. , Dat pepper grass grows well in Louisiana and it look a little like lettuce. - Sarah Thomas, age 80, from WPA Slave Narratives, We ate corn and potatoes which we brought with us and alligator. We had no weapons. - Testimony of Gabriel, a forty-year-old Mina in Louisiana from Africans in Colonial Louisiana by Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, 1996, I ran; but did not know what way to go and took into the pines. Now, after I had done this, I began to study what to eat... I continued there for four days without any food except sassafras leaves, and I found water. - from The Narratives of Fugitive Slaves in Canada by Benjamin Drew, 1856, Sweet Potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) , Popular in the American South, these yellow or orange tubers are elongated with ends that taper to a point. The paler-skinned sweet potato has a thin, light yellow skin with pale yellow flesh which is not sweet and has a dry, crumbly texture similar to a white baking potato. The darker-skinned variety (which is most often called "yam" in error) has a thicker, dark orange to reddish skin with a vivid orange, sweet flesh and a moist texture. The leaves are used to treat diabetes, hookworm, hemorrhage and abscesses. The tuber is used to treat asthma., Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) , The leaves and bark are known for their aromatic properties. The roots have a strong root- beer odor. Sassafras tea and root-beer were popular drinks in early America. It is said to have value as an astringent, pain reliever and treatment for rheumatism. From the Choctaw Indians came the use of filé, a powdered herb from sassafras leaves, to thicken gumbo., Elderberry (Sambucus candensis) , This tree is native to North America and grows from twelve to thirty feet. It has been called the "medicine chest of the common people". Native Americans used it in teas and other beverages. The juice from the berries is an old fashioned cure for colds and is said to relieve asthma and bronchitis. Warm elderberry wine has been used as a remedy for sore throat, the flu, and to induce perspiration to reverse the effects of a chill. Raw berries can have a laxative effect. The leaves and flowers have been used in poultices and ointments for burns, swelling, cuts and scrapes.