This is the first in-depth look at the archaeology of African American life in the Upper Mid-Atlantic—New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Eighteen established and emerging scholars present thirteen articles spanning the period from the 1690s to the 1950s. Through the lens of archaeology, the authors examine the experience of individuals, families, and local communities as they progressed from slavery to freed men and women, to full citizens. The essays are organized by general topics, beginning with “Slavery and Material Culture,” which gives fresh insight on how non-Southern blacks existed as slaves and how the decline of the institution changed the lives of the people.
This volume is an important regional contribution to the story of African Americans in a borderland that has been little studied. It uses the latest techniques of the growing field of historical archaeology to provide us with new insights on a critical part of American history.
