Burke, Emily P

Description

Excerpt from Pleasure and pain: Reminiscences of Georgia in the 1840s by Emily Burke, read by Maria Bruner. Burke was a northern schoolteacher who visited antebellum Savannah, Georgia and recorded her observations in a journal. The text comprises Letter III: Savannah Scenes. Burke describes the origins of the city's name and the physical landscape of the area. She then outlines the layout of the city, focusing on Savannah's squares. Next, she discusses her reaction to seeing slaves, which she notes is an "unpleasant truth." She describes her unfamiliarity with slaves and their culture and appearance. She then outlines the appearance of the city market and compares it to the northern markets with which she is more familiar. The accompanying image is an illustration depicting a scene of African American women carrying baskets on their heads and in their arms. They walk barefoot down an unpaved road. A wooden fence runs next to the road. An African American man drives an ox-drawn cart next to the women. A small building with a chimney stands in the background.

Record Contributed By

New Georgia Encyclopedia

Record Harvested From

Digital Library of Georgia