Thomson Mason, patriot George Mason's younger brother, bought the 393-acre tract called Raspberry Plain in 1760 and set his twenty-six slaves to clearing fields for farming.
Silvey would bear Thomas Mason's surname as he "owned" her. Mason's tax records mention "Old Silvey" among his "property."
Silvey Mason may have been of African origin, as the Royal African Company was delivering slaves to Virginia.
"Silvey Mason" represents many women who served as house slaves in Southern homes.
in Loudoun County Virginia
Silvey Mason: Loudoun Slave
Mastah give us huts to live in. De bede wuz made of long boards dat wuz nailed to de wall. De mattress wuz stuffed wif straw and pine tags. De only light we had wuz from de fire-place.
Mrs. Georgina Giwbs, ex Virginia slave, Born in Slavery: Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938: Virginia Narratives, Volume XVII
History
1776 American Colonies declare independence from Great Britain
Economy 1790
United States
Total population: 3,929,214
Farmers made up about 90% of labor force
Virginia
Population: 691,000
Loudoun
Population: 18,962
After 1750 farm production consisted of grain crops |
Science
African slaves introduced grain and sweet sorghum, melons, okra, and peanuts.
Germ theory has changed little in 2000 years. Cause of diseases is believed to be related to smells and imbalances in body's properties.
