the slave tour

Magnolia Plantation – the Slave Tour 

 

 main drive of old oaks with spanish moss hanging down. 

     One of our tours dealt with the issue of slavery on a plantation. Without getting into a black /white aspect I must remind you that anyone regardless of their race or color who is indentured or accepting lower wages and working conditions could be considered slaves to society, not unlike the Mexicans working here illegally if they could so be defined. And yet we accept it and have only traded one sin for another in those terms. Quite possibly it is their choice to be here and work under those conditions, yet it is our conscience that is the vehicle that allows it to exist. At the time of black slavery a less significant but still ever present form of slavery also existed among Irish and Chinese immigrants who were forced to work off travel and lodging expenses resulting in little or no pay. Our nation is great but we owe a debt of gratitude to these people for making it that way.

 

slave quarters as taken from outside- this would be a duplex, housing up to 20

 

      We were taken to a group of restored two family slave quarters of which a family of 8-10 would occupy one side of the cabin. This could be grandpa, grandma, mom, dad, and other family members who would occupy a 20 x 20 area with a loft and a central fireplace to do winter cooking and heating of their side of cabin with no insulation and just bed covers to keep you warm in a still cold night. In the summer food was cooked outside over open fire pits. All members of the family would work in some form of enslavement to the land owners. One time you would run away, you would be brought back , second time you ran you would be hung. No third time. 

 

typical fireplace central to both sides of cabin 

      Listening to the tour guide portray the owners of the property to which we were viewing, explain how they were taking an abolitionist policy towards slavery weighed little against the fact that they kept their slaves long after the civil war had started, and only when the south was faced with defeat that they refused to accept the same chattels as they once claimed as theirs by contract. A contract by which the slave had no reason to enter into, instead it was done by others on their behalf with no good end to a means, except free labor. Without the free labor I am afraid, Thomas Drayton the wealthy landowner would never have been able to have his precious gardens, even though I am sure it would be a loss to society and the whole area would have been in development now as Charleston urban sprawl is quite evident. But I feel as nice as the gardens are; they are a testimony to free labor as a result of slavery. I doubt if Thomas Drayton lifted too many shovelfuls of dirt in his day.

 

the wysteria was just as beautiful as it looks with some 6 inch vines  

     This wasn’t the only property owned by Thomas Drayton at the time. Another 1500 acre cotton farm was owned by Drayton as well as other holdings of property. Slavery made him rich, and the Carolina golden rice was very much in demand and paid better than cotton, but was labor intensive. 150 slaves were needed at Magnolia alone not counting the 20 house staff. Another 200 was needed on the cotton plantation. To say slavery wasn’t important for keeping costs down would be ludicrous. To be an advocate for abolitionism would just be just like trying to paint a different picture than what actually unfolded. 4 million visitors to the Charleston area allow the South to say just about anything it wants, but all we need to do is open a history book to get the real pic of what went on. I am thankful to be able to see the ideas and concepts of Thomas Drayton , just wish the money that goes to the family still today would see part of its way back to the people who helped make it happen, and not by employing them. That is work they are being paid for.