Hidden lives
Subtitle: the archaeology of slave life at Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest
By: Barbara J. Heath.
Publisher: University Press of Virginia
Published: 1999
Place of publication: Charlottesville
Language: eng
Number of pages: 81
Subjects: Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826 -- Homes and haunts -- Virginia -- Bedford County.; Slaves -- Virginia -- Bedford County -- History -- 18th century.; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Virginia -- Bedford County.; Plantation life -- Virginia -- Bedford County -- History -- 18th century.; Poplar Forest (Va.) -- History.; Bedford County (Va.) -- Antiquities.
Description: Like Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest offers a significant archaeological view of slave life at the turn of the nineteenth century in rural Virginia. In Hidden Lives, Barbara J. Heath re-creates the daily life of slaves at Jefferson's second home from 1773, the year he inherited the plantation, until 1812, when his reorganization of its landscape resulted in the destruction of a slave quarter.

Drawing on census data, letters, memoranda, and other primary material, Heath describes the slave community's family ties, the agricultural cycle of work, and the sickness and health care they experienced. Her portrait is enhanced by fresh archaeological findings and a wealth of illustrations, including site and contemporary maps, images of slaves at work and at home, artifacts, and interpretive drawings.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-76) and index.