During the mid-nineteenth century North Carolina was the global supplier of naval stores. The "Turpentine State" lay in the long-leaf pine belt--a region of dry sandy clay subsoil that ran from North Carolina, south to Florida, and as far west as southern Alabama and Mississippi. The sap of turpentine orchards was harvested and distilled into … Continue reading Examining the Language of Slavery
enslavement
The Last Will of Thomas Rowlett: 1806
Source: Mecklenburg County, Virginia Will Book 5, p 320, 1806; accessed digitally from Family Search (familysearch.org) September 13, 2018. In late December of 1805, Thomas Rowlett of Mecklenburg County wrote a new will. Less than a month later, the son of William Rowlett and step-mother Sarah Neal Archer Rowlett was dead. Thomas left an estate … Continue reading The Last Will of Thomas Rowlett: 1806
Lucy Boyd Dodson, Freedwoman
In building out my Dodson ancestors’ social and economic ecosystem I asked questions about the enslaved. I wondered if I could find evidence of how their journey from emancipation through Reconstruction differed from the post-war opportunities of my family. In doing this research I uncovered what I believe to be a family tree of Lucy … Continue reading Lucy Boyd Dodson, Freedwoman
By 2 o’clock
Deadlines are my friend. Deadlines are my friend. Deadlines are my friend. 2 o'clock. That is my latest deadline. Computer time--1:39. Twenty minutes to sift through my busy brain and find some compelling story or intriguing information that is worthy of a reader's time. I got nothing. Or maybe I am just procrastinating a bit … Continue reading By 2 o’clock
Shoots, Roots, and Leaves 