Measuring the Social, Spatial, and Temporal Dimensions of Virginia Slave Housing

FAIN: RZ-50619-06

University of Mary Washington (Fredericksburg, VA 22401-5300)
Douglas Sanford (Project Director: November 2005 to August 2009)

Creation of a relational database of dwellings in the Chesapeake region in which Virginia slaves were housed, comprising both extant structures and structures for which only documentary or archaeological evidence is available. (12 months)

This project explores the tangible representation of the material dynamic between American slaves and masters by studying slave houses. The design of the shelter, the living and working conditions and the household compositions of slave housing in the Chesapeake, Virginia region will be studied. The goal of this project is to contribute to the ongoing study of slave housing and master/slave relationships by compiling and analyzing a corpus of data.