Department of History Public History Graduate Project Reports
Term of Award
Summer 2018
Degree Name
Master of Arts in History (M.A.)
Document Type and Release Option
Graduate Internship Report (Open Access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Department
Department of History, College of Arts and Humanities, Georgia Southern University
Committee Chair
Christopher Hendricks
Abstract
Through the use of primary source documents, especially deeds, wills, estate inventories, and historic newspapers, this report attempts to trace the lives of the original group of enslaved men,
women, and children who lived at the Davenport House, including Nancy, Bella, Mary, Deeping, Tom, Ned, Ann, Davy, Isaac, Jacob, Jack, Polly, and Peggy prior to their entry into the Davenport House. There is much to be interpreted from seemingly impersonal information such as location and previous owners, as well as from new resources heretofore unconsulted including burial and jail records, ship manifests, later deed records, and wills. For example, Laurel Grove South interment records have allowed us to learn for the first time in centuries when and how two of the Davenport slaves passed away and how they died. Likewise, by retracing the origins of these men, women, and children, it is possible to place one of them at the forefront of the African Baptist movement in Savannah. Perhaps one of the most important newly consulted resources, deed records from the 1840s and 1850s provide the names of enslaved children born at the Davenport House. For the first time in hundreds of years, these otherwise muted individuals now have stories to tell that may one day be shared with their descendants; stories which emphasize their individual geography and mobility and their individual lived experiences and transcends the limitations of any house or structure. These stories and this report come at a time when perhaps now more than ever, there is increased awareness of the need for more accurate and inclusive historical
interpretations in the American South which recognize the lives of enslaved African Americans. The ongoing urban slavery expansion project at the Davenport House Museum is part of a movement to support more holistic interpretations and a groundbreaking overhaul to the site that will allow for an expanded interpretation of enslaved life is set for completion in 2019. This report directly supports this expansion by providing unique and original material for interpretation in the home.
Recommended Citation
Westfield, Kelly, "The Enslaved Members of the Davenport Household: Geography, Mobility, and Pre-Davenport House Lived Experiences" (2018). Department of History Public History Graduate Project Reports. 1.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/history-grad-internship/1
