Slavery at Sotterley

Slavery at Sotterley. . , Slavery existed in Maryland from the colony's founding in 1634 until it was abolished by constitutional amendment in 1864. African slavery had been formally regulated through a series of laws in the 1660s. By the end of the 17th century, the overwhelming majority of bound laborers in the colony were African, and lifelong chattel slavery was replacing indentured servitude. Thousands of people were harnessed against their will to the demands of owners who used their labor to build wealth. Many of their stories were rooted at Sotterley., Enslaved laborers at colonial plantations worked long hours with little time to themselves. At Sotterley, they grew crops, raised livestock, and constructed and maintained buildings under the direction of an overseer, who was and employee, often a son or other relative of the owner. Domestic workers took care of the house, the cooking and cleaning, and the owner's children in the nursery. Duties were not assigned strictly by gender; women as well as men worked in the fields. Families were formed here, though whether they could live together was the owner's decision, not theirs. Enslaved persons often worked on neighboring plantations, and there was always the threat that they could be sold away from their families., As at other plantations, some Sotterley slaves ran away. The owners made efforts to get them back, placing ads in newspapers and offering rewards fort the return of skilled laborers. Most of the runaways were young, single men. However, during the War of 18 12, entire families escaped with the aid of the British, who were eager to disrupt the plantation economy., Two valued Sotterley cooks – Tanny Merritt and Grace Munroe and her family – fled with British help, with the Munroes emigrating to Canada. Altogether, nearly 50 enslaved persons abandoned Sotterley during the War of 18 12, resulting in the financial hardship at Sotterley that the British had hoped to achieve., Slavery at Sotterley , Members of the enslaved community were sheltered close to their work. Some lived in barns and sheds in outlying fields, others in cabins. Some even lived in the Plantation House. At any one time, up to 20 members of the owner's household could be occupying the Plantation House. Can you guess how many enslaved persons would have shared one cabin? The sign at the Slave Cabin will tell you.