Davis Bend Plantation: Community of Cooperation

The Hurricane Plantation at Davis Bend near Vicksburg offered a rare exception to harsh reality of slavery. The 350 enslaved people there had access to adequate food, shelter, medical care, and could read and write. However, Davis believed that “the less people are governed, the more submissive they will be to control.”

Pictured: A black and white photograph of the home of Joseph Davis. The home has ten columns. In front of the columns are 38 enslaved people and three members of the Davis family (far left).

Credit: Old Courthouse Museum, Vicksburg, MS.