As part of our Parallel Lives, Worlds Apart project looking at Paxton House’s Caribbean plantations we have been working with children at Descendants and at Eyemouth High School. In response they answered questions and created artworks. You can explore their work here.
This is a picture of Africa. I have designed my own Kente cloth at the top and drawn an Asante King in the middle of Africa. I have added drums and musical notes to show what they brought over to the Caribbean. The flags are Grenada and Jamaica where my Grandma and Grandad are from. The island at the top is Europe with Christopher Columbus searching for Asia but sailing in the wrong direction.
The sugarcane symbolises the African slaves working in rags tirelessly to farm the sweetly tasting stems. The map shows the Triangular Trade which depicts enslaved Africans who were used on the plantations. The slave ships also imported and exported sugar across the different regions. Slaves wore manacles whilst they were travelling. They were also known as human cargo. The gold coins represent the abolition of slavery.
This image represents the Triangular Trade and the countries involved in it. The red shows the blood of the people who died and got sick. The words represent everything we have learnt.
If you could ask Ninian Home (1732-95) (the second owner of Paxton House) a question, what would you ask him? The children at Descendants responded…
Louise: ‘What was it like being in charge of Paxton House? Would you like to be a slave?’
Orion: ‘Why did you have slaves? That was mean to do that.’
Ruben: ‘What was it like back then in the Caribbean?’
Harley: ‘How did it feel to own a big house and what did it feel like to have slaves?’
Mikayla: ‘What made you tempted to have slaves in Grenada?’
Ashton: ‘I want to ask him to stop his plantations.’
Tye: ‘What were you thinking in your last moments before you were killed? What was the worst thing about living in Paxton House?’
Esi: ‘In what ways did you try to help African people?’
Lily: ‘What’s your favourite room in your house. Do you feel like Karma caught up with you in the end?
My picture is about people in Africa who got taken on a slave ship to the Caribbean like Grenada. The people were sad to leave their home. I feel sad for them.
‘What would you say to the African people who were enslaved?’ The children at Descendants responded…
Ashton: ‘What was it like to be a slave? How upsetting was it to be separated from your family?’
Harley: ‘Why do you follow the slave master, why didn’t you escape as there were so many of you.’
Orion: ‘Why didn’t you try to get guns to free yourself?’
Louise: ‘What was it like to be locked up and stacked together on the boat?’
Leah: ‘How did it feel to know you had to be ruled by others knowing that you would be whipped if you rebelled?’
Esi: ‘How did you feel being enslaved? Did you think you would see your family again?’
Lily: ‘I want to tell them that they shouldn’t give up fighting, they will be free.’
Tye: ‘If you had the chance to not be a slave what would you be?’
Children’s responses to the transatlantic slave trade
Louise, age 8
“I feel mad about the slavery bits because they kept people as slaves and those people might have wanted to live a normal life, but at the end It makes me feel happy because some people broke free from slavery. I don’t think those people wanted to be slaves as they grew up.”
Leah, age 10
“By learning about slavery, it made me feel quite upset because slavery is a hard topic to go through and to hear that people had to go through it is a bit upsetting. I’m happy that they broke through and got freedom.”
Mikayla, age 10
“To know that some of my ancestors went through slavery was a bit shocking… It was an upsetting topic, but once I learnt that they broke free I felt overjoyed because people had the right to be free and not go through slavery.”
Lily, age 14
“I think it’s a good topic to learn because it’s made me know more about slavery. People know the basics of slavery, but they don’t know the story and people behind it and the people who have contributed to freedom. Everyone knows the top names, but no one knows the people behind the scenes. I think it’s a good topic to learn because it enlightens me and makes me more insightful about slavery.”
Tye, age 12
“It makes me feel quite shocked at how they treated us, we weren’t considered human beings really, we were just considered like objects that they could do anything they wanted to us…as if they could just bend us to their will… it made me feel quite annoyed. You can’t do anything about it now as none of those people are alive now but it’s something you’ll never forget.”
Esi, age 13
“It makes me feel proud as I now know that my history didn’t start with slavery and isn’t just slavery, it goes much deeper than that. I know that the people who contributed to the abolition of slavery they were the same colour as I and they weren’t just white. My ancestors stood up for themselves and they knew themselves and their morals and they did things accordingly”.
Ashley, age 11
“Talking about this topic makes me feel both happy and sad. Happy because I got to learn more about my background and my ancestors but sad because I had to learn about what they had to go through and achieve for us to have a better future.”
Ruben H, age 7
“I enjoyed learning about the Arawaks and Caribs because I liked learning what they did to get their food, water and all of the things they needed to survive.”
My picture is of Nanny of the Maroons. She was from Africa; she was taken to Jamaica. Nanny of the Maroons helped save the Maroons. She was the best. She was a hero. She made me feel happy.
The Paxton House Trust would like to thank the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Museums Galleries Scotland for their support for this project.
