点评:Maryland has many historical sites that relate to the history of the enslavement of Africans and plantation life. I decided to visit Sotterly Plantation in Southern Maryland.
Sotterly Plantation, is over 300 years old, founded in 1699 and located on the banks of the Patuxent River. It is one of the oldest surviving plantations in the Tidewater area, in the south. As a UNESCO Site of memory, Sotterly was a major colonial port, producing tobacco and corn with enslaved laborers and offers unique insight into the lives of both the enslavers and their enslaved workforce.
When I visited Sotterly, the visitors center was closed, but was able to get a map of the Plantation and went to discover Sotterly on my own. The school house, the blacksmith's shop, the Ice House, and a few other buildings were open. The 1830 slave cabin was closed, but was able to see through the window. Close by, I came across a Maryland Historical marker...Middle Passage Site Sotterly. According to the marker a slave ship named Generous Jenny carried enslaved Africans to the Sotterly Plantation. There were 260 enslaved Africans on the ship with 29 African deaths during the voyage.
The descendants of those formerly enslaved Africans along with landowning families actively shape the museum programs, archeological projects and hold leadership positions on the Board of Trustees.
翻译:马里兰州有许多与非洲人被奴役的历史及种植园生活相关的历史遗迹。我决定前往马里兰州南部的索特利种植园参观。
索特利种植园拥有300多年历史,始建于1699年,坐落于帕图森特河岸边。它是南部潮水地带现存最古老的种植园之一。作为联合国教科文组织认定的记忆遗产地,索特利种植园曾是重要的殖民地港口。这里使用奴隶劳动来种植烟草和玉米,为我们了解奴隶主及其奴隶们的生活状况提供了难得的视角。
我参观索特利种植园时,游客中心正好关闭了,但我还是拿到了种植园的地图,并独自前去探索。那里的校舍、铁匠铺、冰库以及其他几栋建筑都对外开放。那间建于1830年的奴隶小屋则处于关闭状态,不过我仍能透过窗户看到里面的情况。不远处……我偶然发现了一块马里兰州的历史标志牌……上面记载着“中段航程遗址索特利”。根据牌上的说明,一艘名为“Generous Jenny”的奴隶船将260名非洲奴隶运送至索特利种植园。在航程中,有29名非洲奴隶不幸身亡。
这些曾被奴役的非洲人的后代以及当地的地主家族积极参与博物馆项目的策划与考古工作,并在托管委员会中担任领导职务。