Brighton Hollow woes

[GaryB]

As I am writing for the era of 1778, I am coming across in my writing several references to Slavery. This is an ugly subject and I am nearly at an impass as how to handle it.

 

On one hand, I simply cannot ignore it. That just seems disrespectful somehow and simply wrong. On the otherhand, I cannot make it seem 'nice' or make it sunshine and flowers as seen in the movie 'The Patriot'. Very few slave owners, especially those on larger farms and plantations never associated or treated thier slaves with much respect or kindness.

 

There is a character I have, a pre-generated PC character (or NPC if no one plays him) who is a slave. He is in of course what is a bad situation and gets involved in the story of Brighton Hollow because he was volunteered by his owner. However, I HAVE painted his owners as a kinder folk like Mel Gibson's character was in the Patriot.

 

I'm just curious if I should just leave slavery out of the picture (pushing into the background) or make it more realistic, or whatever. How would you all handle this?

[Captain Obvious]

Re: Brighton Hollow woes

 

Try to handle it as realistically as possible. Small landowners with slaves didn't really live any better than the slaves did, usually, and it was somewhat more of a family, with the obvious caveat that the slave had pretty much all major decisions made for him. Large landowners treated their slaves as livestock, except for the house slaves, which again were like a part of the family, albeit a part that never gained the respect of adulthood. Simon Legree types were pretty rare, given that no owner wants their property (human or otherwise) wantonly damaged. The only slaves that were generally beaten savagely were the repeat troublemakers...one of which could make an interesting NPC....

[Just Joe]

Re: Brighton Hollow woes

 

I wouldn't avoid the subject, but I also wouldn't try to put all my perceptions about it into the game. Though there are generalizations to be made, there were millions of slaves and slaveowners. The characters you write into your game need not be typical or entirely representative of all slaves and owners. On the other hand, some variety is probably a good idea, lest your players get the impression that you are trying to make a statement that you do not intend. And speaking of players, it helps if you know them and they know you.

[GaryB]

Re: Brighton Hollow woes

 

I ended up not avoiding the subject. Instead, I took a purely acedemic view of it based on several articles found online. The pre-generated player character for the story remains unchanged, but is a very dynamic character with great potential.

 

The description is brief, but to the point:

 

" Slavery in the era of 1778 was still a very potent business for many large land owners and some small business owners. The American-British colonies were nearly the last and largest consumers of the slave trade. By this time, many other countries had already banned slavery including Britain, which is why most escaped slaves who could make it, would join the British to fight the Revolutionaries.

In Brighton Hollow, there is a single plantation belonging to a Lord Timothy Whitestone (rumored to be a supporter of the Revolutionaries) who does own perhaps three dozen slaves. Stories of the Whitestone Plantation say that while Whitestone is a kind high-born man to people, his slaves are treated indifferently. They are neither abused nor treated exceptionally well. They are treated mostly like one would treat a tool or a beast of burden. You take care of it as much as possible, yet there is no love between you and it."