In November of 1850, Somerset Plantation’s enslaved field workers continued harvesting corn and plowing fields for the next season’s crop.

To harvest the corn, which was cultivated in thousands of acres of fields, enslaved men and women first pulled all of the corn stalks from the dirt.

Then, another crew of enslaved workers picked the ears of corn from the stalks.

By late November, enslaved laborers were beginning to transport the picked ears to the barns (Photo Top right) for shelling.

Enslaved field workers raced against the clock to till the soil before the hard frost set in.

As soon as the corn stalks were removed from the ground, a large team of enslaved workers plowed the fields.

Leftover parts of the stalks and weeds were tilled into the soil to provide a natural fertilizer for the next crop.

Enslaved laborers received a one-day break from work during Thanksgiving."

Narrative & photos credit: Somerset Place State Historic Site, formerly Somerset Place Plantation. Lakeshore Rd., Creswell, NC.