Research Experiences for Undergraduates
Primary historical research is crucial to the Sylvester Manor Project, for many reasons. Documented economic activities and land use references can, and have, complemented and clarified the recovered archaeological landscape. Account books and wills have illuminated some of the relationship of the Sylvester's with the Native Americans and enslaved Africans. The archaeology may begin to recover the many viewpoints that are lost in a record compiled almost exclusively by European settlers, but this record contains clues to those viewpoints and can help to direct other avenues of inquiry. There are also large pieces of the culture history which may only be read in the documents, as all other physical remains are lost today. Sylvester Manor has retained a staggering archive of family papers, dating back to the original settlement of the island in 1652, as well as a few prior to their arrival. The photos below are a sampling of the type of documents the project historians are reading.
