HAMPTON PLANTATION STATE HISTORIC SITE

1950 Rutledge Road McClellanville, SC 29458 Phone: (843) 546-9361 Fax: (843) 527-4995

Program Description

Hampton Plantation

“From the Fields to the Big House” is designed to lead students through the early history of South Carolina. Beginning with the formation of the Carolina Colony and the emergence of the plantation system, this program focuses on rice culture and the lives of the free and enslaved families that lived on Hampton Plantation.

Directions

From Georgetown: Travel south on Hwy 17 for approximately 16 miles. After crossing the two Santee River bridges, turn right at the first intersection onto Rutledge Rd. Go three miles and the park entrance will be on the right.

Hampton Plantation is the site of a large antebellum rice plantation. Settled by French Huguenots in the mid-1700s, Hampton was inhabited and operated by some of the most prominent S.C. families. The centerpiece of the 322-acre park is a thirteen-room mansion house, which stands as a monument to historic European architectural styles and the labor of enslaved Africans. Rice fields, plantation gardens, and adjacent forests and swamps make Hampton an excellent learning environment for the study of Lowcountry history. 170

From Charleston: Travel north on Hwy 17 for approximately 35 miles. Turn left onto Rutledge Rd, go three miles and the park entrance will be on the right.

Reservations and Program Information

For reservations, contact: Niki Ohlandt Interpretive Ranger Phone: (843) 546-9361 [email protected]

Hampton Plantation: Pre-site Content Area: History Grade Level: 3

Title of Program: From the Fields to the Big House

South Carolina State Standards Addressed

3.2.6 Summarize the contributions of settlers in South Carolina under the Lord Proprietors and the Royal colonial government, including the English from Barbados and the other groups who made up the diverse European population of early South Carolina. 3.2.7 Explain the transfer of the institution of slavery into South Carolina from the West Indies including the slave trade and the role of African Americans in the developing plantation economy; the daily lives of African American slaves and their contributions to South Carolina, such as the Gullah culture and the introduction of new foods; and African American acts of resistance against white authority. 3.4.1 Compare the conditions of daily life for various classes of people in South Carolina, including the elite, the middle class, the lower class, the independent farmers and the free and enslaved African Americans.

The activity provided is to allow students to prepare for interactive demonstrations during the on-site program. Students will be introduced to the rice culture of the Lowcountry and should be encouraged to write down any questions to bring with them on the day of the program.

Focus Questions

These questions will be answered during the on-site program. Teachers should ask the questions beforehand to prepare students for the topics that will be discussed during the program. 1. What governments controlled South Carolina during colonial times? 2. How does rice grow? 3. How does life differ between a slave child and the son or daughter of the plantation owner?

Culmination Assessment See post-site activities.

Hampton Plantation: Pre-Site

Time to Complete: 1 class period

Lesson Description

Activity

Activity 1: Read the passage to your class. Then have your students match the pictures with the appropriate vocabulary word. Answer Key: C. A. E. B. D.

Threshing Yard Sheaves Sickle Hull Winnowing

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Picture Match - Activity 1

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Read the passage below then have your students match the pictures with the appropriate vocabulary word.

Hampton Plantation: Pre-Site

Harvest Time

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April marked the beginning of the planting season for rice plantations. Slaves flooded the fields and hoed them four times throughout the summer. The last flooding and hoeing came in July, and the next two months were spent doing lighter work. In September, slaves harvested the rice. First, field hands cut the rice stalks using sickles, or rice hooks. They bundled the rice into sheaves and let them dry for a day. The next day, slaves loaded the sheaves on shallow boats called flats and transported them to the threshing yard. At the threshing yard, slaves put the sheaves of rice on the ground and beat them with flailing sticks. This separated the grain of rice from the stalk. Next, slaves used a mortar and pestle to hull, or pound, the rice. This cracked the hard protective shell covering the grain. Finally, slaves completed the winnowing process by tossing the rice into the air and catching it in fanner baskets. The air would blow away the hard shell and a grain of white rice would fall back into the basket. The rice was then polished and put into barrels for shipment. Sources: Joyner, Charles. Down By the Riverside. 1985.

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Picture Match

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Hampton Plantation: On-site Content Area: History

Hampton Plantation: On-Site

Grade Level: 3

Lesson Description

This program will discuss the importance of rice to Hampton Plantation and South Carolina and compare and contrast the daily lives of the slaves and those living in the Big House.

Focus Questions Time to Complete: 1 hour 30 minutes Title of Program: From the Fields to the Big House

1. 2. 3. 4.

How was the Carolina Colony formed? What is a plantation? What was the daily life of a slave like? What was the daily life of a wealthy plantation owner like?

Culmination Assessment See post-site activities.

South Carolina State Standards Addressed

3.2.6 Summarize the contributions of settlers in South Carolina under the Lord Proprietors and the Royal colonial government, including the English from Barbados and the other groups who made up the diverse European population of early South Carolina. 3.2.7 Explain the transfer of the institution of slavery into South Carolina from the West Indies including the slave trade and the role of African Americans in the developing plantation economy; the daily lives of African American slaves and their contributions to South Carolina, such as the Gullah culture and the introduction of new foods; and African American acts of resistance against white authority. 3.4.1 Compare the conditions of daily life for various classes of people in South Carolina, including the elite, the middle class, the lower class, the independent farmers, and the free and enslaved African Americans.

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Materials/Resources • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Map of the U.S. Slave clothing Cup & ball toys Map of South Carolina Wealthy planter class clothing Buzz saws Picture of rice Rules of discourse Card decks Picture of indigo Paper Nine pins Rice Ink Rice mortar/ pestle Ink wells Fanner baskets Quill pens

Program

Introduction and Welcome (parking area) • Your name • Safety issues • Divide into groups if necessary

Plantation Life What was a plantation? It was a working farm that specialized in the growth of one or two cash crops. What was grown on plantations? Here in the Lowcountry, planters harvested rice and indigo. In other states, planters harvested cotton, sugar cane and tobacco. Who lived on a plantation? • Plantation owners • Indentured servants • Overseers (white employees) • Slaves What is slavery? The practice of owning human beings and forcing them to work without pay. How did slaves make it to South Carolina? • Slave hunters went to Africa and other places, such as the Caribbean and the West Indies, and captured the native people. • They put them on ships and sent them to North America. • Once they made it to port, captives were put up for sale at the slave auctions. Plantation owners bought these captives and transported them to the plantation where they lived and worked for the rest of their lives, unless they were sold by their master or purchased their freedom. • This whole process was called the slave trade.

Hampton Plantation: On-Site

The Story of Carolina Once Upon a Time: There was a man named King Charles II. He was the King of England. He owned all of the land that is present day: • North Carolina • South Carolina • Georgia • Tennessee • Alabama • Mississippi • Louisiana • Arkansas • a small part of Missouri • most of Oklahoma • most of Texas • most of New Mexico • most of Arizona • the southern half of California • the southern tip of Nevada • the north part of Florida • a slice of northern Mexico There was no way that he could govern this land named Carolina while living across the ocean, so he divided up all the land between eight men known as the Lords Proprietors. Lords Proprietors • Financed the colony (used their money to make sure the colony was able to run smoothly) • Ruled the colony • Made sure the people in this colony were making money for the British Crown In 1670, English colonists landed in South Carolina and established Charles Towne along the Ashley River. In the mid-1670s, British colonists from Barbados moved to Charles Towne and in 1680, French Huguenots followed. The Huguenots moved into the rural farm country and began to create large plantations like the one here. In fact Daniel Horry, the owner of this plantation, was a descendant of the French Huguenots.

A Day in the Life of a Slave Adults Slaves would get up very early in the morning and would receive their daily tasks. Once they completed these tasks, they were free to do chores of their own. Slaves Jobs 175

Hampton Plantation: On-Site

Some slaves worked in the Big House as butlers, maids, nannies, and cooks. Some slaves were skilled craftsmen: blacksmiths, carpenters, builders, and coopers. Some slaves worked out in the rice and indigo fields. Field work was very hard. Explain what indigo is. Go through the rice cultivation process. Kids try. Children Most slave children did not work until the age of 10. They spent their time: Playing with other slave children and the master’s kids. Doing chores to help the family such as weeding and watering the garden and hunting and trapping animals for food. Doing minor chores for the master. Slave children were not taught to read or write. It was illegal, and most owners felt it was a waste of time. Instead, children learned how to do things that would aid them as working slaves such as basket sewing, cooking, hunting, and weaving. Clothing was simple and was meant to withstand heavy-duty work loads. Clothes were replaced once a year, usually around Christmas. A Day in the Life of a Wealthy Child in the Big House (mansion) Life for the daughter or son of the plantation owner was vastly different than the life of a slave child. These children were being raised to take over the family plantation or make a socially acceptable marriage. They studied reading, writing, and arithmetic. They learned different aspects of the social art such as • dancing

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• playing a musical instrument • proper etiquette for eating, meeting people, and behaving in public • singing • making proper conversation Big House Game: Ballroom: This room was for formal entertainment. Children always had to look or appear their best in company. Use this time to dress two classmates up in clothing from the time period. Now imagine meeting President Washington here. How would you act around him? What would you say? How do these clothes compare to the clothes of a slave child? Are these clothes different from the clothes you wear today? What do you think of the rules of conversation? Portico: The portico leads into the Hall Parlor which was used as a study or a drawing room. This room would have been used as a place to relax, read a book, or write a letter. Writing was very important to members of the planter class. Many times, family members were separated by great distances and letters were the only way to communicate on a regular basis. Writing was one of the first skills a wealthy child would learn. Use this time to look at one of the letters that Harriott wrote to her family. Then you can try to write using a quill pen like the Horry family would have used. Remember you have to let your ink dry before you fold your paper! Is it hard to write with this type of pen?

Lunch and Conclusion (picnic tables) Escort the kids down for lunch and use this time to teach them the rules of dining. Explain that this normally would have taken place in the Dining Parlor, but we can’t have food in the house today. Use this time to see what the kids have learned. How did life differ for the slaves and the plantation owner’s family? How important was rice and indigo to the lives of the slaves and the plantation owner’s family?

Hampton Plantation: On-Site

Do you like this type of pen better than the kind we have today? Why do you think slave children were not allowed to learn how to write? Hall Parlor This room was used for informal relaxation. People would sew, read, write, and maybe children would play quiet games to relax in the evening. Look at the games and toys that children your age would have played. Try the toys Are they like the toys you would find in your home? Would you find these toys in slave cabins?

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Hampton Plantation: Post-site

Hampton Plantation: Post-Site

Content Area: History Grade Level: 3 Time to Complete: 1 hour 30 minutes Title of Program: From the Fields to the Big House

Now that you have experienced the program “From the Fields to the Big House” at Hampton Plantation State Historic Site, you may want to use the following information to reinforce everything your students learned on their field trip. This post-site packet includes a worksheet, activities, and set of focus questions that will help you summarize the topics we discussed at the plantation back in your classroom.

Lesson Description South Carolina State Standards Addressed

3.2.6 Summarize the contributions of settlers in South Carolina under the Lord Proprietors and the Royal colonial government, including the English from Barbados and the other groups who made up the diverse European population of early South Carolina. 3.2.7 Explain the transfer of the institution of slavery into South Carolina from the West Indies including the slave trade and the role of African Americans in the developing plantation economy; the daily lives of African American slaves and their contributions to South Carolina, such as the Gullah culture and the introduction of new foods; and African American acts of resistance against white authority. 3.4.1 Compare the conditions of daily life for various classes of people in South Carolina, including the elite, the middle class, the lower class, the independent farmers, and the free and enslaved African Americans.

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Post-Site Inforamation

The following activities are designed to reinforce the material covered in the program and for teachers to assess the knowledge gained from the program.

Focus Questions

1. How much effort went into cultivating one cup of rice? 2. What skills were important to the daily lives of those living in the Big House? 3. What skills were important to the daily lives of the slaves working on the plantation?

Materials/Resources

• Instructions on how to age paper. • Patterns and examples of clothing from the 1700s.

Activities

Activity 1 Enjoy a Rice Krispies treat with your class. Ask your students to think about the amount of effort that went into cultivating one cup of rice. How did slaves harvest the rice? What tools did they use to help them? What were their work-

ing conditions like? After you get your answers remind them that rice is a key ingredient to the treat they are enjoying. Ask them if they feel if their treat is worth all the hard, backbreaking work. Would they want to live the life of a slave?

Activity 3 Use the information provided or your research to create an article of clothing that would be appropriate for a slave or planter-class child. Why did you choose the garment? What would this garment be used for (i.e. daily life, dress occasions, field work, maid uniform, etc.)? Is this piece of clothing something that both slave and planter-class children would wear?

Hampton Plantation: Post-Site

Activity 2 For extra credit, have your students age paper and write a letter to a friend or family member. Writing skills were extremely important to members of the elite planter class. They were used to keep family and friends informed as well as to complete daily business transactions. This activity does require adult supervision.

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Rice Krispies Treats

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Hampton Plantation: Post-Site

Ingredients:

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1 tbsp butter or margarine 10 oz. of regular-sized marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows 6 cups Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal Directions: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8)

Coat a 19x9x2 inch pan with cooking spray. Melt margarine in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add Kellogg’s Rice Krispies to the margarine/marshmallow mix. Stir until well coated. Using a buttered spatula, press mixture evenly into a 13x9x2 inch pan. Let the treats cool, and cut into 2-inch squares.

Paper Aging Instructions

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Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step1 Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Step2 Place 1 or 2 sheets of copy paper on an un-greased cookie sheet and soak with vinegar. If you can’t stand the smell, cold tea is an option here but the final effect will be a little different. Step3 Sprinkle used coffee or tea grinds onto the wet paper. At this point, you can smudge the coffee in for darker stains or sprinkle and remove quickly for a subtler effect. Step4 Remove excess coffee and vinegar from paper carefully. Gentle dabbing with a paper towel will remove excess liquid and prevent tearing the paper.

Hampton Plantation: Post-Site

Things You’ll Need: • Paper • Cookie sheet • Vinegar • Coffee grinds • Paper towel • Oven preheated to 200 degrees

Step5 Place the cookie sheet into the preheated oven. Step6 Check the paper every couple of minutes to be sure that it isn’t sticking to the cookie sheet. Step7 When paper is dry, remove from oven and let cool. The paper is much easier to remove when cold. Step8 Repeat steps 1 through 6 if you want the paper to be even more stained and brown.

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Hampton Plantation: Post-Site Clothing

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Clothing

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Clothing

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