University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Theses and Dissertations 5-10-2014 Love and Marriage: Domestic Relations and Matrimonial Strategies Among the Enslaved in the Atlantic World Tyler Dunsdon Parry University of South Carolina - Columbia Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Parry, T. D.(2014). Love and Marriage: Domestic Relations and Matrimonial Strategies Among the Enslaved in the Atlantic World. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/2759 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you by Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LOVE AND MARRIAGE: DOMESTIC RELATIONS AND MATRIMONIAL STRATEGIES AMONG THE ENSLAVED IN THE ATLANTIC WORLD By Tyler D. Parry Bachelor of Arts University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2008 Master of Arts University of South Carolina, 2011 Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History College of Arts and Sciences University of South Carolina 2014 Accepted by: Daniel C. Littlefield, Major Professor Matt D. Childs, Committee Member Mark M. Smith, Committee Member Thavolia Glymph, Committee Member Lacy Ford, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies © Copyright by Tyler D. Parry, 2014 All Rights Reserved. ii DEDICATION For Shanelle, the one who has loved me in my best and worst moments. This is your dissertation, as much as it is mine. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I always ask for forgiveness when writing acknowledgements in fear that I may overlook those who have made significant contributions to this project. I have benefitted from the camaraderie of many instructors, friends, colleagues, mentors, librarians, archivists, and strangers. I hope these forthcoming words adequately represent my deepest appreciation for your individual contributions. My interest in the African Diaspora and the Atlantic world was born through enrollment in a class called “Comparative Slavery” at UNLV taught by Dr. Kevin Dawson. While I was interested in medieval history at the time, the stories of diasporic Africans fascinated me and the way Kevin presented the material was infectious. I soon found myself in his office with some frequency discussing Graduate School and the somewhat ridiculous idea (at least at the time) of me becoming a doctor of philosophy. But he always reassured me, wrote multiple letters of recommendation, and believed in my capability to succeed in Graduate School. He also encouraged my enrollment in the Ph.D. program in History at the University of South Carolina, which is a department that has fostered my intellectual development and professionalization beyond my wildest expectations. I genuinely believe that if I had not enrolled in that pivotal class my junior year I would not be at this point. Perhaps I can never fully repay Kevin, but hopefully this public acknowledgement suggests my deep appreciation for everything he has done and continues to do, both past and present. iv At the University of South Carolina I have benefitted from the careful attention and camaraderie of multiple scholars and peers. First and foremost I would like to thank Daniel C. Littlefield for accepting me as his student, directing this dissertation, carefully critiquing each of the documents I sent him, and investing significant amounts of time toward developing me into a scholar and intellectual. Dan always allowed my mind to roam and encouraged me to investigate new questions. I could not ask for a better adviser. A hearty thanks to Matt D. Childs who quickly became a personal friend and stellar mentor. When others told me to slow down, Matt always motivated me to keep my momentum and to believe my scholarship is an important contribution to the historiography. Despite the perpetually dismal job market, Matt’s mantra that “good people who do good work get jobs” has remained a key factor in my motivation to continue my pursuit toward academics. I also extend a special thanks to Mark M. Smith for agreeing to serve as a committee member for this dissertation, and for encouraging me to think more imaginatively about cultural history. Without his suggestion that I follow the “brass ring” in my chapters on African marital practices, this dissertation would be a far inferior product. I also extend a genuine thanks to Thavolia Glymph, my outside examiner, who read my early publications on “jumping the broom” and provided excellent comments for the new directions I could take my research. In addition to my immediate dissertation committee, I would be remiss if I did not thank Kay Edwards, Don Doyle, Tom Lekan, Joshua Grace, and Adam Schor, all of whom provided excellent feedback on my work and helped me think more broadly about my subject. Graduate School is a strenuous exercise in patience and sanity, and I am grateful for my friendships and affiliations with a number of individuals and groups during my v five years at South Carolina. The remaining members of my Grad School cohort, Caroline Peyton and David Dangerfield, have served as constant sources of support and encouragement. Caroline’s realism and sarcasm were wonderful resources for alleviating stress both in and outside of the classroom. David’s excellent lowcountry cooking, storytelling, and Gamecock football gatherings comprise some of my fondest memories of South Carolina. I would also like to recognize the “breakfast club” comprising Caroline, David, Tim Minella, and Allen Driggers for some great Thursday mornings. Thanks to all of you, and I look forward to seeing your dissertations get published! I also extend heartfelt thanks to the members of the “Atlantic History Reading and Writing Group”: Robert Greene, Andrew Kettler, Jacob Mach, Matt Childs, Neal Polhemus, and Charlton Yingling. Many chapters in this dissertation benefitted from your careful and thought-provoking critiques. I also send many thanks to Candace Cunningham, Jennifer Taylor, Brian Robinson, Ramon Jackson, and Evan Kutzler of the “American History Reading and Writing Group” for helping me contextualize my secondary projects in twentieth-century African American history. I would also like to recognize the help and guidance I received from David Prior and Michael Woods, two exemplary scholars who carefully critiqued my writing and offered crucial advice for success on the job market. Institutions and entities within USC have proved valuable for providing funding, work experience, and establishing valuable friendships as I marched toward the end of this dissertation. I’ve had the pleasure of working with the African American Studies Program on multiple occasions, and I extend special thanks to the Director Valinda Littlefield, her staff members Valerie Ashford and Makeira Simmons, and faculty members Todd Shaw and Kimberly Simmons. All of you are irreplaceable friends and vi colleagues. Entities within the University of South Carolina, including the Walker Institute; the Institute for African American Research; the History Department; the Graduate School, and the Vice President of Research all provided critical funding for completing this dissertation. Additionally, special thanks is owed to institutions outside USC that also provided generous funding for my project: The John Hope Franklin Research Center at Duke University; Harvard University’s International Seminar on the History of the Atlantic World; the Social Science History Association; Florida International University’s African and African Diaspora Studies Department; and the Bilinski Educational Foundation. A special thanks to Mary Anne Fitzpatrick, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, for continually demonstrating that Graduate students are a top priority at this institution. Without this support my project would simply not exist. The transatlantic framing of this dissertation has allowed me to travel throughout the Atlantic and meet multiple numerous scholars who have both directly and indirectly influenced this project. While only listing their names does not do justice to their valuable contributions, I believe they should, at the very least, be acknowledged: John K. Thornton, Joseph C. Miller, James H. Sweet, James Sidbury, Randy Browne, and Jean Muteba Rahier. I would also like to thank the incredibly helpful employees of the various archives visited while researching for this dissertation. A number of you went above and beyond my expectations, and my bibliography would be much slimmer if not for your helpful contributions and interest toward my project. I also extend my love and gratitude to those individuals outside academia who constantly remind me to remain humbled and thankful for good friends and family. Thanks especially to my colleague and friend O’Neill Hall and his family who provided vii luxurious accommodations in Linstead, Jamaica while I researched in Kingston and Spanishtown. I will always remember battling spiders, cramming into private buses, arguing with cab drivers about fees, my ill-fated attempts at understanding patois, praying with you, and enjoying some of the most delicious food and breathtaking scenery I have ever experienced. I also express deepest thanks to my Bermudian friends Pastor Cyril, Dueane, Kristin, Mrs. White, Edmund, and Kalena, all of whom provided hospitality that even rivaled the American South. To my brothers John, Mathis, and Joe Parry, and my sister Heidi Stern, I express