University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 8-2017 Adorned Identities: An Archaeological Perspective on Race and Self-Presentation in 18th-Century Virginia Johanna Hope Smith University of Tennessee, Knoxville, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Smith, Johanna Hope, "Adorned Identities: An Archaeological Perspective on Race and Self-Presentation in 18th-Century Virginia. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2017. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/4653 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Johanna Hope Smith entitled "Adorned Identities: An Archaeological Perspective on Race and Self-Presentation in 18th-Century Virginia." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Anthropology. Barbara J. Heath, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Gerald F. Schroedl, Bertin M. Louis Jr., Derek Alderman, Matthew Reeves Accepted for the Council: Dixie L. Thompson Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) Adorned Identities: An Archaeological Perspective on Race and Self-Presentation in 18th-Century Virginia A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Johanna Hope Smith August 2017 Copyright © 2017 by J. Hope Smith All rights reserved. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project would not have been possible without the input and encouragement of so many people. First I must thank my advisor, Barbara Heath for her dedication to helping me craft the best work possible. From the very first readings course I took from her up to the dissertation itself, her thoughtful critiques and keen eye for inconsistencies helped me grow into a better researcher and writer. The amount of time and effort she put into helping me think through this project is greatly appreciated. Second, Matt Reeves deserves thanks for encouraging me to pursue a PhD in historical archaeology. Without those three years working for him at Montpelier, I almost certainly would not be here today. The opportunities he provided for professional development, as well as the input and encouragement in graduate school applications, not to mention allowing me to use Mount Pleasant as my primary research collection, have all contributed mightily to this dissertation. The rest of my committee also deserve many thanks. Gerald Schroedl not only introduced me to archaeological theory, he provided me with some helpful resources for thinking about my project and encouraged me to keep pushing forward to the finish line. Bertin Louis provided valuable feedback on my dissertation project and encouraged me to think more broadly about the African Diaspora. And Derek Alderman introduced me to some new perspectives from cultural geography and allowed me to participate in one of the most rewarding courses I took during my graduate career. I am deeply indebted to Fraser Neiman, Jillian Galle, and all of the members of the DAACS Research Consortium for inviting me to participate in the DRC project. My iii dissertation would not have been written without the opportunity they provided to catalog a portion of the Mount Pleasant assemblage into DAACS, as well as the many sites that I used from the DAACS catalog. Fraser and Jillian also provided welcome input on my data and my project. I also must thank Tom Heffernan, Amy Elias, Joan Murray, and all the members and staff at the University of Tennessee Humanities Center. They provided me with a physical and intellectual “home” for my last year of writing. I will always be grateful for the time and space provided by the Humanities Center fellowship, and for the opportunity to engage with other scholars working on a diverse array of questions about the human experience. Many thanks also to Melanie and Julian Reese for providing me with a spiritual “home” during my time at the University of Tennessee. Their prayers and emotional support have helped me see this work through to the end. In the same way, my friends back in Virginia have provided friendship and emotional support through this whole process. Special thanks go out to Karen Adam, who offered sympathy based in first-hand experience of academia. I would not be here without my family. My parents literally taught me how to read and write, and the way they encouraged me to think broadly and creatively and to pursue projects pertaining to my own interests directly impacted my choice of career and my decision to pursue graduate studies. I am so grateful for their support, in every sense of the word, through these past six years. iv Lastly, I am so grateful to my husband, Jared. Graduate school brought us together, and he has stood by my side ever since that first semester. Even when I felt unsure of myself, he has never doubted my ability to finish this project. And even though he cannot read this, my faithful dog Hector deserves a mention for cheering me up with his cuddles and antics during this last year. .. v ABSTRACT Institutionalized slavery helped to create the concept of race in the American mind and forced people into new social categories based on superficial bodily characteristics. These new social categories resulted in the formation of identities that were continuously negotiated, reinforced or challenged through daily bodily practices of self-presentation that included ways of dress, adornment, and physical action. Because slavery was defined on the body, an embodiment approach to plantation archaeology can shed new light on the construction of racial identities. This historical archaeology project combines an archaeological analysis of personal adornment artifacts with a close reading of travel sketches, mass-produced satirical illustrations, and runaway advertisements Through these textual, visual and material sources this project traces the daily practices of presentation of self in 18th-century rural Virginia, revealing how plantation members of both races negotiated multiple identities within the confines of this system. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One Introduction ................................................................................................... 1 Project Overview ............................................................................................................ 1 Historical and Theoretical Context ................................................................................. 3 Questions, Materials and Methods .................................................................................. 9 Primary Sources ........................................................................................................ 14 Archaeological Data.................................................................................................. 18 Methodological and Comparative Concerns ............................................................. 23 Organization of Dissertation ......................................................................................... 23 Chapter Two Identity in Archaeology .............................................................................. 25 Definitions and History ................................................................................................. 25 Embodiment .................................................................................................................. 37 Identity in Plantation Archaeology and the Archaeology of Race ............................... 43 Where does my work fit in? .......................................................................................... 47 Chapter Three Historical Context ..................................................................................... 49 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 49 Tobacco ......................................................................................................................... 49 From Indentured Servitude to Chattel Slavery ............................................................. 56 Changes in Household Structure ................................................................................... 66 Slavery and the Origins of Racism ............................................................................... 74 “Scientific” Racism ....................................................................................................... 77 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 82 Chapter Four The 18th-century Body ................................................................................ 84 Bodily Difference: Gender and Race ............................................................................ 84 Structuring the Body ....................................................................................................