THIS EVERYDAY LIFE

Hero Quite often the meaning of this word Hero is a very subjective one. It depends largely on the individual that is doing the defining. Such was the case that occurred on my latest attempt to get to Charleston. Never quite made it due to a family emergency on the part of my to be host. My friend notified me of the situation when I was about halfway to Charleston on US Hwy 17. So I decided what the heck, I am this far into Charleston, why not check out the historical marker regarding the “Stono Rebellion”. For those of you that have not been keeping up with my blog, or not already aware, the Stono Rebellion occurred in the vicinity of the Stono River during South Carolina’s Colonial era. More precisely I guess it was on either September 8 or September 9, 1739. I say I guess because there is even disagreement regarding the date, even among trained historical researchers. Due to the fact there were really no known precise record of the date, lets just leave the date as being the fall of 1739. It involved a slave rebellion that would eventually change the way the slavery matter was handled. But lets leave that topic for a moment and concentrate briefly on this word “Hero” and who receive this honorable title and under what circumstances. Let me be upfront and advise it all pertains to the issue of slavery, both slave and master in their attempts to gain their freedom. On the way to Charleston I have always noticed a fenced in historical marker located in the front of a private residence. Normally I doubt very seriously if anyone would ever notice it except for the fenced enclosure. As everyone knows that travel a good deal, historical markers are for glancing at and not for reading that is unless you’re curious enough to stop. On this day I was curious. I stopped and read. I was pleasantly surprised by its contents. It was about Sheldon Union Academy. An institution founded in the early 1890s to educate African American youth. It was far from Colonial times, but was important nonetheless. For you African American and White readers for that matter, you’ll know that even during that late date education for African Americans was perilous to say the least. It was a period shortly after reconstruction and lets face it African Americans were facing a mighty backlash from the White community. Gains won during reconstruction in the south witnessed sharp declines in the African Americans existence. Laws all over the south was being passed to ensure that African Americans remained disenfranchised. For people to have banded together to offer educational benefits to the youth of that time in the rural south was a feat in itself. Hats off to these founders. I do believe that no matter the color of the reader or their position regarding race, these people fit into the category of “Hero”. Now into my reason for trying to find the Stono marker. Although slave disenchantment was prevalent everywhere in the new world and that included all of the American Colonies. It took the Stono Rebellion to translate the rules and regulations of slavery that continued until the Civil War. The most intriguing thing about this rebellion is the lack of precise record keeping. Even historians have a problem getting a handle on the matter. It is also surprising that a matter that precipitated or rather solidly dictated a course of action that changed the lives of both slave and owner would have gone unnoticed for so long. As a matter of fact it was not until 1974 that any serious research and publication regarding the rebellion was undertaken. Oh there were recorded accounts of the rebellion, but none from the slave’s position or by any slaves of record, except from oral historical accounts passed down through generations. As far as the slave owners, no doubt their accounts had to be viewed with a jaundiced eye. Remember they were the slave owners. As stated earlier serious scholarly study did not commence until the early 1970s. The study was undertaken by Peter H. Wood, Professor of History, Duke University and resulted in the book, “Black Majority”. It seems that scholars of the subject all agree that Wood’s book and research was the first and most scholarly work around. It has also successfully borne out scrutiny by other scholars. As a matter of fact his research was the springboard for even more detailed study of the rebellion. Just to show you how the rebellion has even scholars stumped-some claimed that as many as 50 whites were killed, others as few as twenty, and still others 34. Some argued that the slaves were Angolans, still others-Kongolese Catholics. The Catholicism part raises another question in my mind, were they Christian before they left Africa? If so, I guess you could assume they were in a roundabout way escaping religious persecution also. Seriously speaking it was routine for captives of war to be sold off to European or Arab slavers in return for money or other considerations. Prior to the outside slave trade warring African conquerors routinely made slaves of the losers, or worse yet slew them out of hand. If these guys were Catholic captives of Muslim or Animalistic Africans, they no doubt were lucky to be sold into slavery, if you can describe being a slave lucky. Just depends on your outlook I suppose. Well it’s the night of the rebellion-the slaves have slain quite a few whites and have done considerable damage to property. Historical accounts depict it as having been massive. They then walk around the parish beating on drums and chanting “Liberty”. No doubt it was done in hopes of attracting a following of other slaves to join the rebellion and escape to Florida and join up with the Spanish. The Spanish, slave owners themselves, offered the colony’s slaves freedom and the chance to join their armies against the colonials. As a matter of fact the Spanish established units of these escapees with their own officers. These officers were appointed from the ranks of the escapees. But moving on, after drawing together a pretty large contingent, the slaves ran into the Colony’s governor and his party. Failing to kill him was their undoing. The guy escaped and alerted a better armed and numbered militia that killed quite a few escapees and hunted down others in the weeks to come. Undoubtedly some of the slaves escaped (historical accounts) and are believed to have made it to the Spanish, joined the Indians or a Maroon tribe in Florida. A personal observation comes into play. No doubt some of you readers will assume that I am of a selfish bent when you read the following. If I had escaped (being an African used to swamps, marshes and woodlands) no way in the hell would I have been beating drums and shouting to draw attention to myself. Stealth would have been the word for today. Yep from South Carolina to Augustine, I would have been as quiet as a mouse pissing on cotton. Tell you the truth I don’t know what the heck was going on in the brothers’ minds. Whether it was the Spaniards exhorting them to bring as many escapees as possible or the feeling there was strength in numbers, the guys made a bad decision. Subsequent events bear out my surmise. As an African American and a descendant of slaves I can only title these guys “Hero”. In my mind I equate this with POWs using any means of escape. Being a war veteran, I know because I was taught that. Leaving the outskirts of Charleston and traveling south on US 17, I stopped at that highways’ intersection with state highway 64 to gas up. Got to talking with one of the patrons about my quest and was advised to just go up highway 64 between Johnsonburg and Walterboro. Supposedly there were beaucoup markers along the route. Stopped at the first one and it directed me to a gravesite belonging to Issac Hayne. Glad I hit the mother lode on the first try. Readers the temperature was dropping and I am definitely a cold weather guy. The route to Hayne’s gravesite was a road winding through woodland. It ended at the Hayne’s family’s gravesite. Legend outside the burial site proclaimed that it was kept up by the Colleton State Park. No doubt all of you Carolinians know whom Issac Haynes was and how he died for his revolutionary activities after being captured and paroled by the British for participating in the same kind of activity. The second time around was just too much for his captors and they decided to hang him. You have got to give the man credit for sticking to his beliefs in freedom from the Crown. Heck after his initial parole and with his wealth the guy could have just as easily went to Barbados or some other British colony and lived out a life of peace. But his overwhelming desire for freedom was a burning desire in his chest and he subsequently paid for it with his life. Marion Francis and Nathanael Green by their exploits probably left a more memorable history due to their exploits, but Hayne’s exploits are no examples of slothfulness. Although after his initial capture the gentleman signed an oath proclaiming him a British citizen with no intention of during harm to British property or lives, he did so under tremendous duress. His family was sick and he needed desperately to get to them. Well bottom line he had no intention of keeping his oath, as a matter of fact when he was captured a second time he had in capture an American Loyalists by the name of General Andrew Williamson. Williamson was not only a Loyalist but had joined the British Army. Hayne’s legal proceedings went through numerous technicalities but the bottom line was eventual hanging. The British were just flat out determined to cause his death. Whether it was because he pledged an oath or to make an example of him, who knows. But the results were to make the Americans more determined to undermine British rule. Hayne’s execution at that time was the first one that was committed against so notable a rebellious personage. You see the guy was a high ranking civil servant as well as a representative of his district. During that period men that held these type positions usually swung with the British. For his determination to be free of the British yoke, I title him “Hero”. Now people you have two examples of “Hero”, one a slave owner that dons a respectable footnote in history and others who were slaves that until 1974 were relegated to the bins of oral history. Both situations pointed out man’s desire to be out from what they considered to be intolerable conditions. But something just tells me that in the minds of quite a few one situation is designated honorable freedom fighter and the other animalistic murderers. Oh I forgot to add the Slave Code in South Carolina that subsequently came about as a result of the Steno Rebellion dictated that no one could free a slave unless they petitioned the legislature and got permission to do so. As I said earlier this law continued for the rest of the Colonial era and continued until the Civil War. It seems as though in 1820, Phillippe Stanislaw Noisette, a Frenchman, had come to Charleston via Haiti had to petition the legislature to manumit his wife and their six children. Now when I read this two things stood out, (1) how the hell can a person marry a woman and have six children--all considered legal slaves and(2) it seem that at times the slave owner was just as much a slave to the system as the slave. Go figure. A Good Read on the Stono Rebellion Stono, Documenting and Interpreting a Southern slave Revolt, Edited by Mark Smith. University of South Carolina Press, 2005. Other Sources Suggested South Carolina Topics http://nhd.sc.gov/theme/topics.htm Good Source for Issac Hayne The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon—History http://www.oldexchange.com/html/history.html