Back of the plantation museum : an evaluation of the representation of slavery at North Carolina historic sites / by E. Arnold Modlin, Jr.
| Author/creator | Modlin, E. Arnold author. |
| Other author | Alderman, Derek H., degree supervisor. |
| Other author | East Carolina University. Department of Geography. |
| Format | Theses and dissertations |
| Production | 2008. |
| Description | 132 leaves : illustrations (some color), maps ; 29 cm |
| Supplemental Content | Access via ScholarShip |
| Subjects |
| Summary | Southern plantation museums often serve as monuments to the wealthy white owners who lived in them with discussions focusing on of their property, ingenuity, and accomplishments. Traditionally, the enslaved and their lives have been overlooked or misrepresented at historic sites. Yet, slaved often outnumbered wealthy house owners and their families. Their labor served both as the basis of the wealth of the planter class and allowed these owners the time necessary to participate in the notable acts that have traditionally received the attention of the tour guides. The last few years has seen a greater call for a more critical representation of the plantation that includes more details about all its residents particularly the enslaved populations that have traditionally been ignored. This research study examines the representation of slavery in North Carolina plantation house museums by tour-leading docents and plantation promotional websites. To determine the actual representation of slavery at these sites, I toured over fifty North Carolina plantation museums that are open to the public and examined the way that docents discussed the subject of slavery as compared to other common themes. Additionally, I examined the text and images on a sample of plantation websites on the Internet that promoted North Carolinian plantation house sites. While my research indicates a slight improvement in the number of sites that discuss slavery, it also revealed that a number of mythmaking strategies are used to limit and control the discourse of slavery at these sites. While there are some differences in the way that slavery is represented on docent-led tours and plantation-related websites on the Internet, a use of mythic representations of slavery and the plantation in general can be seen when examining both of these informational outlets for the plantation museum. When slavery was discussed, it often was framed in a way that still valorizes the planter class and paints the plantation as a "white" space. |
| General note | Presented to the faculty of the Department of Geography. |
| General note | Advisor: Derek Alderman |
| Dissertation note | M.A. East Carolina University 2008 |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-132). |
| Genre/form | dissertations. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Thèses et écrits académiques. |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyner | University Archives | ASK AT SPECIAL COLLECTIONS DESK | ✔ Available | Request Material |
| Electronic Resources | Access Content Online | ✔ Available |