For a dispassionate view of slavery, at least in the Northern Neck of Virginia in Lancaster County, researchers may wish to consult the project by the Mary Ball Washington Museum & Library a few years ago, which examined ALL estate records from 1835-1865. There are over 3,000 slave records found here. No, we didi't find any Simon Legrees or much else worthy of a Shakespeare play. We did find lots of the plain old human condition, both black and white.
You can review our Lancaster County study at:
http://mbwm.org/estates.asp
Craig Kilby
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