Davis Bend Plantation: Community of Cooperation

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

Pictured: A black and white photograph of a group of enslaved people at the Hurricane Plantation attending a wedding. In front, children play in a small group on the ground. In middle center, a group dressed in white sits in a semi-circle. In the background, attendees stand in front of wood cabins. 

Credit: Old Courthouse Museum, Vicksburg, MS