Mode of Program Participation
Academic Scholarship
Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Leet’s Tanyard: Rev. Arthur Leet and Slavery in Catoosa County,
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Slavery is often underrepresented in the Appalachian historiography. In collective memory, slavery is usually nonexistent. Many see Appalachia in the antebellum as a mountainous region dominated by yeoman farmers that existed outside of the slave based deep south economy. In reality, this characterization is a misrepresentation of the region and its relationship with the peculiar institution. Although it is true one would be hard pressed to find the image of a sprawling plantation reminiscent of “Gone with the Wind,” slavery served a much more prominent role in Appalachian communities. This paper will demonstrate that Catoosa County, a small county in the northwest Georgia mountains, defies the stereotypes of a homogenous white and slaveless Appalachian society. It will build on previous research conducted by the author that slave census data from 1860 about the country is misleading. Using one of Catoosa County’s many entrepreneurs Rev. Arthur Leet as a focal point, it will be demonstrated that the number of slaves in Catoosa County was higher and that the slaves maintained an important part in this antebellum Appalachia county. Additionally, the focus on Leet will show that slavery played a major role in the region’s economy.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Robert Baker is a full time high school history teacher at West Hall High School and an adjunct professor of Appalachian Studies at the University of North Georgia. He hails from the small town of Ringgold, Georgia. He is a graduate of Carson-Newman College (B.A), North Georgia College and State University (M.A.T.), and the University of North Georgia (M.A.).
Leet’s Tanyard: Rev. Arthur Leet and Slavery in Catoosa County,
Slavery is often underrepresented in the Appalachian historiography. In collective memory, slavery is usually nonexistent. Many see Appalachia in the antebellum as a mountainous region dominated by yeoman farmers that existed outside of the slave based deep south economy. In reality, this characterization is a misrepresentation of the region and its relationship with the peculiar institution. Although it is true one would be hard pressed to find the image of a sprawling plantation reminiscent of “Gone with the Wind,” slavery served a much more prominent role in Appalachian communities. This paper will demonstrate that Catoosa County, a small county in the northwest Georgia mountains, defies the stereotypes of a homogenous white and slaveless Appalachian society. It will build on previous research conducted by the author that slave census data from 1860 about the country is misleading. Using one of Catoosa County’s many entrepreneurs Rev. Arthur Leet as a focal point, it will be demonstrated that the number of slaves in Catoosa County was higher and that the slaves maintained an important part in this antebellum Appalachia county. Additionally, the focus on Leet will show that slavery played a major role in the region’s economy.
