Elderly Slaves of the Plantation South

by Stacey K. Close

Overview

Elderly slaves contributed substantially to the creation and perpetuation of the unique African American culture and antebellum plantation society in the South. Interwoven with this major argument are two subthemes. One centers on the fact that by the late antebellum period elderly slaves were some of the chief transmitters of Africanism; the other focuses on how gender based distinctions of the elderly became blurred. Although the roles of the elderly often changed, elderly slaves contributed to the plantation economy. It is also true that those old people who were incapacitated posed serious economic and social concerns for owners, although many of the problems of elderly care were solved by the compassion of slave community members
(Ph.D. Dissertation, The Ohio State University, 1992; revised with new preface and index)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781317944904
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/22/2015
Series:	Studies in African American History and Culture
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	138
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Stacey K. Close

Table of Contents

Chapter I Beliefs About the Aged; Chapter II The Elderly Male Slaves and the Slave Community; Chapter III The Old Butlers, Companions, and Drivers; Chapter IV Elderly Slaves: Social, Economic, and Health Concerns; Chapter V Nearer to Thee: Old Women in the Quarters; Chapter VI Varying Degrees: Old Slave Women and Owners; conclusion Conclusion;

Editorial Reviews

Demonstrates that elderly slaves contributed substantially to the creation and perpetuation of the unique African American culture and antebellum plantation society in the south. Two subthemes of this argument relate to the fact that the late antebellum period elderly slaves were some of the chief transmitters of Africanism, and to how gender-based distinctions of the elderly became blurred. The author also discusses the economic and social concerns that incapacitated elderly people posed for owners, and how many of these problems were solved by the compassion of slave community members. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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