Lewis Paine, Six Years in a Georgia Prison (New York, 1851), 140-141.
Item
Title
Lewis Paine, Six Years in a Georgia Prison (New York, 1851), 140-141.
Includes music itself or text of song
no
Identity of singers; solo/group
enslaved
group
Voice/instrument
drums, horns, "other loud instruments"
Space/room
plantation
activity
social gathering
Geographical location
Georgia
Notable adjectives
"loud"
Excerpt
In order to keep the slaves confined upon the plantation, and to prevent their meeting in bodies, the law has established a patrol. At page 813 of the work before quoted, we find this passage: "And as it is absolutely necessary to the safety of this province, that all due care be taken to restrain the wandering and meeting of Negroes, and other slaves, at all times, and more especially on Saturday nights, Sundays and other holidays, and their using and keeping mischievous and dangerous weapons, or using and keeping drums, horns or other loud instruments, which may call together, or give sign or notice to one another, of their wicked designs and intentions, and that all masters, owners and others, may be enjoined diligently and carefully to prevent the same: Be it enacted, that it shall be lawful for any person, whomsoever, to apprehend and take up any Negro, or other slave, that shall be found out of the plantation of his or their master or owner , at any time, especially on Saturday nights, Sundays, or other holidays, not being on lawful business, and with a ticket from their masters , or not having a white person with them; and said slave or slaves , met or found out of the plantation of his or their master or mistress, though with a ticket , if he or they be armed with such offensive weapons aforesaid, him or them to disarm, take up and whip; and whatsoever master, owner or overseer, shall permit or suffer his or their slave or slaves, at any time hereafter, to beat drums, blow horns, or other loud instruments; whoever shall suffer any public meeting or feasting of strange slaves in their plantation shall forfeit thirty shillings sterling for every such offense, upon conviction or proof as aforesaid. "
Context
Paine describes some of the restrictions that were put on the enslaved. One of the restrictions he writes about includes preventing them from playing "loud instruments", because people wanted to prevent the congregating of the enslaved.
Bias of author
Paine was an abolitionist, and his writing reflects that.