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Activity Sold and re-named

Themes this can be used for:

Slavery

Sold and re-named

Activity 1 of 3

Show students the object 'Valley Plantation'. Once sold an enslaved person was re-named. Can students find examples of slaves given names that might have been common in Britain; that were named after a place; insulting nonsense names or names of famous prime ministers or emperors which were deliberately derisory. What does this tell us about the slavers attitudes to those enslaved? Despite this, African people often managed to keep their own names as well, passing them down through generations. What does this tell us?

Show the class the 'Ownership manacle' (lock and key). It is inscribed with 'S Bosanquet. Layton', the name of the plantation, and the year 1746 are on the other side. Whose name is S Bosanquet? (the plantation owner). Why would slaves have worn identification like this?


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