Generations of Somerset Place: From Slavery to Freedom

Located in the rural northeastern part of North Carolina, Somerset was cumulatively home to more than 800 enslaved blacks and four generations of a planter family. When the institution of slavery ended in 1865, Somerset Place was the third largest plantation in North Carolina. During the 80 years that Somerset was an active plantation, hundreds of acres were farmed for rice, corn, oats, wheat, peas, beans, and flax. Today, Somerset Place is preserved as a state historic site offering a real...