Aspects of Slavery and Freedom Seeking in North Carolina
Wood-Labor-Naval Stores
But how many people (laborers) were necessary for this task? Were they in a community? Both questions begin to dig deeper at the construction of life and culture within the system of oppression. Naval store production is similar to other forms of harvest of natural elements featuring wood. They require a heavy emphasis on both tasked work and gang labor. From the basis of task work, necessary skills were required to both cut and harvest raw and natural materials from trees. Likewise, small groups of men were sent out to complete these tasks. Naval store production was mostly a male-dominated task amongst slaves. They often spent large amounts of time in the forest and collaborating with each other. This created excellent opportunities to foster a sense of community and create a culture within a secluded environment and within the scope of enslavement.
Blood and Sweat equal Labor
The legacy of slavery cannot be understood without a full appreciation of the way in which slaves worked. The naval store industry was the foundation of the early North Carolina economy. In this, we see the two largest economies merge in slavery and naval stores in North Carolina. The production of naval stores was a laborious task. Thus, enslaved African Americans were often used to cut and harvest Long Leaf Pine. To learn the process of obtaining turpentine from trees, see this helpful diagram booklet from the National Park Service CLICK HERE.
Oral history of working in turpentine camps. While the history of Naval stores predates emancipation for African Americans, the process of harvesting trees for their rich materials goes far beyond freedom for African Americans. Watch THIS VIDEO to hear the accounts of African Americans and work in Turpentine Camps.
While this video highlights stories and accounts of working, it also speaks to the trace origins of how labor can still produce Culture. Culture in this definition refers to the lived occurrences and experiences of African Americans involved in a host of labor. While their work was exploited and they were often mistreated, African American still found ways to master their craft and share information and stories, thereby creating an existence of familial connection despite their situation. An example of upliftment amidst the dire situation can be easily found when reviewing runaway slave advertisements. One advertisement sought the return of two unnamed runaway slaves near the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. This illustrates that African Americans were not only skilled but were also knowledgeable about the craft and the business that accompanied it. See example HERE
Ira Berlin and Phillip D. Morgan. “Labor and the Shaping of Slave Life in Americas” found in Cultivation and Culture: Labor and the Shaping of Slave Life in the Americas (Charlottesville and London) 1993.