Simplicity, Equality, And Slavery: An Archaeology Of Quakerism In The British Virgin Islands, 1740-1780 (florida Museum Of Natural History: Ripley P. [Hardcover]

A significant empirical contribution to the transdisciplinary study of eighteenthcentury
Atlantic history and the colonial history of the Christian Church.Dan Hicks, author of The Garden of the World: An Historical Archaeology of Sugar Landscapes in the Eastern Caribbean
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Thoughtfully applies practice theory to the concept of Quakerism as a religion, while simultaneously examining how Quaker practices shaped the lives not only of practitioners but those they enslaved.James A. Delle, author of The Colonial Caribbean: Landscapes of Power in the Plantation System
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A nuanced look at Quakerism and its relationship with slavery.Patricia M. Samford, author of Subfloor Pits and the Archaeology of Slavery in Colonial Virginia
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Inspired by the Quaker ideals of simplicity, equality, and peace, a group of white planters formed a community in the British Virgin Islands during the eighteenth century. Yet they lived in a slave society, and nearly all their members held enslaved people. In this book, John Chenoweth examines how the community navigated the contradictions of Quakerism and plantation ownership.
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Using archaeological and archival information, Chenoweth reveals how a web of connections led to the communitys establishment, how Quaker religious practices intersected with other aspects of daily life in the Caribbean, and how these practices were altered to fit a slavery-based economy and society. He also examines how dissent and schism eventually brought about the end of the community after just one generation. This is a fascinating study of the ways religious ideals can be interpreted in everyday practice to adapt to different local contexts.

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A volume in the Florida Museum of Natural History: Ripley P. Bullen Series