Date of Award
8-16-2024
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
History
First Advisor
Bobby Donaldson
Abstract
“Institute of Enslavement: Enslaved Lives at South Carolina College” argues that enslaved people used the structure of the school, their own knowledge, and connections to other individuals and institutions to negotiate the terms of their enslavement. It examines how enslaved people on campus influenced their daily lives to the best of their abilities, in ways that were similar and different to other forms of enslavement. “Institute of Enslavement” considers how the unique structure of enslavement on a college campus, with multiple potential masters creating inconsistent authority for the school officials over enslaved people, created opportunities as well as moments of peril for enslaved people. This dissertation builds on the work of other schools, and individuals at the University of South Carolina, who have engaged in similar research, but shifts the focus away from the schools to the enslaved people themselves. The lives of enslaved people structure this dissertation, framing it around their experiences rather than the school. “Institute of Enslavement” also engages with the literature on dynamics between enslaved people and their enslavers, using the college campus as a lens through which to consider questions of power. Most importantly, however, it tells the stories of Black people who encountered South Carolina College not as a place of learning, but as an institute of enslavement.
Rights
© 2024, Jill Found
Recommended Citation
Found, J.(2024). Institute of Enslavement: Enslaved Lives at South Carolina College. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/7784