July 4th, 1861
We have little idea how the Brome family celebrated the fourth of July each year. It is likely that there were events healed in Leonardtown that they attended, or perhaps they held a party at their own home or at the nearby Trinity Church or Female Seminary. The material record is of no use to […]
Some Walk Together Updates
Duplex Quarter Exhibit I was particularly delighted to have a number of Emma Hall’s family in attendance, and to share with them some of our plans for interpreting the duplex quarter that she grew up in. We are currently in the process of addressing a number of concerns that the Maryland Historical Trust had regarding […]
The Beginnings of the Brome-Howard Inn Exhibits
Steven Gentry is an intern at Historic St. Mary’s City from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. He has been working this summer to begin planning exhibit panels for the inside of the Brome-Howard Inn, which was originally St. Mary’s Manor, home to Dr. John Mackall Brome. His work is part of the larger effort at […]
Landscapes of Slavery and Freedom at the Wye House Plantation
Archaeologists and historians throughout the United States conduct research about the transition from slavery to freedom. Occasionally, we will be featuring guest posts from these researchers to demonstrate ways that these transitions occurred throughout the country. This post was written by Beth Pruitt, a graduate student at the University of Maryland. She works with Archaeology in […]
A Research Trip to the US National Archives
Over the holiday break, I visited the United States National Archives in Washington, D.C. for a short research trip. The Archives are home to a seemingly unlimited amount of documents and resources accumulated by our government over the past few hundred years, and because it is our government, we (read: citizens like you and […]
Understanding an African American Community in Gloucester County, Virginia
Archaeologists and historians throughout the United States conduct research about the transition from slavery to freedom. Occasionally, we will be featuring a guest post from these researchers to demonstrate the ways that this transition was experienced by African Americans throughout the country. This post is written by David Brown and Thane Harpol, co-directors of the Fairfield […]
An African American Family Escaping North During the Civil War
This photo is part of the Library of Congress collection, and appears on their Flickr page. When used with a special viewer, the image would have appeared in 3D. The picture itself was taken shortly after the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation, and shows a former slave family passing into Union lines. Throughout the war, […]
Maryland Slaves in the Civil War: How it Happened in St. Mary’s County
Evidence suggests that the Union Army had a presence at St. Mary’s Manor. Brome’s Wharf was destroyed, along with many other landing spots along the Potomac River, to cut back on illicit trading with Virginia, located across the river. Additionally, archaeological evidence, such as a tent peg, buttons, and musket parts, suggest that Brome’s land […]
St. Mary’s City, the 15th Amendment, and the African American Right to Vote
Because free and enslaved blacks did not have the right to vote did not mean that they also lacked the ability to be political. Throughout the South, disenfranchised blacks acted politically, through their resistance to bondage, through work slowdowns, running away, or engaging in revolt. Marylanders such as Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass were particularly […]
Looking for Comparisons: Shirley Plantation Duplex Quarters in Virginia
One of the difficulties in working with archaeological material is that our data set is inherently incomplete. While looking at what people from the past have left behind does give us a glimpse into their lives that we may not otherwise get, it also means that we are not getting the full picture. In addition […]