Edgewater in Anne Arundel County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Java Plantation Life
The Songs of Sorrow
Photographed By Don Morfe, February 10, 2015
1. Java Plantation Life Marker
Inscription.
Java Plantation Life. The Songs of Sorrow. By 1840 there were 84 African American slaves on the Java Plantation, a large number for the area. Almost half were children. On a typical day the slaves would rise before dawn, prepare and eat breakfast, feed the livestock, and be in the fields by sunrise. In the fields slaves might hoe, weed, clear new land, pick insects from the tobacco, or harvest the crop. Mothers took their babies into the fields with them, but young children were often left to take care of themselves. By the age of ten they were put to work.
Sunset signaled the end of work in the fields. Other chores had to be done before a slave had free time to spend with family. Music and dance helped form a distinct slave culture while maintaining ties to their African heritage.
“The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart” , Frederick Douglass
(Inscription under the image in the bottom left) , Using native materials African American slaves made banjos and drums that were similar to those they had played in Africa. They also played homemade guitars, flutes, whistles, and horns.
By 1840 there were 84 African American slaves on the Java Plantation, a large number for the area. Almost half were children. On a typical day the slaves would rise before dawn, prepare and eat breakfast, feed the livestock, and be in the fields by sunrise. In the fields slaves might hoe, weed, clear new land, pick insects from the tobacco, or harvest the crop. Mothers took their babies into the fields with them, but young children were often left to take care of themselves. By the age of ten they were put to work.
Sunset signaled the end of work in the fields. Other chores had to be done before a slave had free time to spend with family. Music and dance helped form a distinct slave culture while maintaining ties to their African heritage.
“The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart” Frederick Douglass
(Inscription under the image in the bottom left) Using native materials African American slaves made banjos and drums that were similar to those they had played in Africa. They also played homemade guitars, flutes, whistles, and horns.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1840.
Location. 38° 53.355′ N, 76° 32.929′
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W. Marker is in Edgewater, Maryland, in Anne Arundel County. Marker is on Dock Road. The marker is affixed to the outside wall of the Java Farm Tobacco Barn. It is on the grounds of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Edgewater MD 21037, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Using native materials African American slaves made banjos and drums that were similar to those they had played in Africa. They also played homemade guitars, flutes, whistles, and horns.
Close-up of image on marker
7. Drum
Close-up of image on marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 18, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 16, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 410 times since then and 7 times this year. Last updated on March 17, 2021, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 16, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. 5, 6, 7. submitted on September 8, 2018, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
