Minot, Louisa Davis, 1788-1858. Louisa Davis Minot papers, 1838 Feb. 4 - May 20.
Title:
Louisa Davis Minot papers, 1838 Feb. 4 - May 20.
Letters, 4 Feb. - 20 May 1838, written by Louisa Minot from from Charleston and Aiken, S.C. to her husband, William, and daughter, Mary, in Boston, Massachusetts; during 1838, L.D. Minot was traveling through South Carolina with her son, William Minot, Jr., hoping to improve his health. Correspndence describes her activities, travels, and the health problems of William, Jr., and comments on Charleston's burned-out district from the fire of 27 Apr. 1838, tours of various plantations, conversations with African-American slaves, and thoughts on the controversy over slavery between North and South. Letter, 8 Feb. 1838, re a visit to Ashley River plantations; 9 Feb. 1838, re William's visit to the plantation of "Mr. Wilkes," where he spoke with several African American slaves, "they... live in neat white washed cottages & look comfortable."; letter, 14 May 1838, re visit to the John's Island plantation of Dr. Joshua Barker Whitridge, which included 600 acres of sea island cotton, where Minot talked with a number of the slaves, "who all said they were satisfied with their condition except one woman whose business it was to drive away crows." Letter, 18 May 1838, re the sectional confrotation over slavery, suggesting that the North should reconcile such differences by coming to the aid of victims of the recent Charleston fire, "I do not see any thing in the Boston papers of contributions for Charleston sufferers, I hope there will be a generous one... it would be a fine opportunity to conciliate their feelings toward the North. Let it be the North come forward openhanded & cordially, & show, that bitter words spoken by some against them are the effect of irritation & ignorance. Unfortunate indeed they are, in being subjected to that most deplorable of all evils, slavery, but cruel they are not, they are a generous humane people, & were there to found on their borders a slave, in as squalid & destitute a condition as thousands in the cellars of Broad St. or garrets of N.Y. they would be subjected to a legal prosecution for inhumanity."
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