Individual Presentation or Panel Title

The Slave and the Sabbath

Abstract

For my senior thesis in the field of history, I analyzed Sunday as it was experienced by slaves in Virginia from 1800-1860. I researched this topic through careful reading of slave testimony and planter journals from antebellum Virginia. Many of my records were on microfilm and required transcription. I have broken the slave’s Sunday into four main topics: tasks on the plantation that needed to be done—even on Sunday— how religion was practiced on the Sabbath, slaves that were forced to continue laboring, and slaves that were given a day of “leisure,” by disallowed from practicing religion. The study of Sunday reveals much about the nature of slavery. For my presentation, I will contextualize Sunday and then further explore my main topic that focuses on the day of “leisure.” This topic is significant because of the historiography of Sunday. Many historians have presented Sunday as a day of leisure for slaves without exploring what this signified for the religious slave.

Presenter Information

Kylie McCormick, Hollins University

Location

Janney Lounge

Start Date

21-4-2012 2:30 PM

End Date

21-4-2012 3:20 PM

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Apr 21st, 2:30 PM Apr 21st, 3:20 PM

The Slave and the Sabbath

Janney Lounge

For my senior thesis in the field of history, I analyzed Sunday as it was experienced by slaves in Virginia from 1800-1860. I researched this topic through careful reading of slave testimony and planter journals from antebellum Virginia. Many of my records were on microfilm and required transcription. I have broken the slave’s Sunday into four main topics: tasks on the plantation that needed to be done—even on Sunday— how religion was practiced on the Sabbath, slaves that were forced to continue laboring, and slaves that were given a day of “leisure,” by disallowed from practicing religion. The study of Sunday reveals much about the nature of slavery. For my presentation, I will contextualize Sunday and then further explore my main topic that focuses on the day of “leisure.” This topic is significant because of the historiography of Sunday. Many historians have presented Sunday as a day of leisure for slaves without exploring what this signified for the religious slave.