CVHS Program to Examine Slavery
Slavery first emerged in the western
hemisphere during the colonial period as a result of the triangular trade
between New England, Africa and the Caribbean.
Slaves were brought to the Caribbean islands to work sugar plantations,
producing molasses for the New England rum trade. Wood's research compares and
contrasts the practice of slavery in North America, from the sugar plantations
of the Caribbean, to rice production on the Georgia and South Carolina coast. The
southern British colonies in North America performed an important role in the
British Empire by providing rice to feed the slaves on the British sugar
islands. The final installment of this series, focusing on cotton production in
Alabama and Mississippi, will be held at a later date.
A native of northern Chambers
County, Wood teaches AP History at his alma mater, Springwood School in Lanett.
Last summer and again this summer he has
been chosen to be part of a select review committee, made up of high school
history teachers from across America, to grade the essay portion of the AP
History Exam. Before returning to his roots, he lived and worked in Virginia,
where he received a Master’s Degree in Early American History from James
Madison University. He has appeared as
guest speaker and has presented research papers at numerous Civil War
conferences and lecture series in Virginia and Kentucky. In addition, he has served as tour guide for
several Civil War motor coach tours of the Shenandoah Valley and as a private
guide for a variety of tour groups.
The Bradshaw Library is located on Highway 29
in Valley, Alabama, approximately one mile south of I-85 Exit 79. The public is invited and encouraged to
attend.
