March 1, 2008: Kinglsey Plantation Visit
A few weeks ago, Aimee and I visited Kinglsey Plantation, an historic site north of us in Florida on Fort George Island.
Run from 1814 to 1839 by Zephaniah Kingsley, the plantation grew much of the same crops as others in the area: Sea Island cotton, sugar cane, corn, indigo, and crops for supporting its population of 60 slaves.
Unlike other plantations, however, Kingsley had a somewhat liberal attitude toward his slaves, having married one in Haiti. He eventually freed his slaves and lobbied the Florida legislature to encourage free slave populations. In 1837, he left the state to found a colony in Haiti.
There are still ruins there today, mostly of the semi-circular ring of slave cabins made from tabby (a concrete made of lime, oyster shells, sand, and water), a barn, and other features. It's a fascinating site, not to mention a beautiful one.
