The historic district of Edenton, North Carolina really is a pretty place to visit if you love Colonial architecture and historic sites. The homes there are majestic, the streets lead to the Chowan River which flows to the Abelmarle Sound and then to the Atlantic Ocean.
You can walk along the waterfront, get inspired by the gardens, spend money in the local shops and come away feeling pretty good about yourself.
Heck, there’s even the mandatory statue to the fallen Confederate soldiers who defended this part of North Carolina during the Civil War.
Edenton grew in the 18th and 19th centuries and for a brief moment, was North Carolina’s capital. Fishing, farming and shipping were the backbones to this bustling economy.
Oh, I forgot something. And a lot of “historic” southern towns forget this also.
Small thing called slavery. Lots of these pretty little villages, like Bath, North Carolina, home to the famous pirate Blackbeard, sort of ignore their little secret.
Without the slave trade and slave labor, these towns probably would still be small fishing villages you would just drive by.
In contrast, Charleston South Carolina devotes an honest approach to its slave past in its city museum and does so to present a truthful look without condemnation. After all, those generations and those racist beliefs are long gone, right? Right?
I’m not saying the people of Edenton and Bath are evil. I’m just saying they may want to acknowledge that Grandpappy Elmer was able to sit on the porch and drink sweet tea on a hot summer 1792 night because his slaves were suffering the heat out on the farm.
Maybe a statue? A park named in the honor of these poor souls?
Just a thought.
