Farm The Mansion Grounds The Hermitage
Enslaved African American men, women, and children were “quartered” in three different locations on the property, likely corresponding to their occupation and status in relation to the Jackson Family. The enslaved African Americans in domestic service for the Jacksons lived in the Mansion Backyard. Those who toiled in the fields lived in the more distant Field Quarter. It is not clear who was quartered at the First Hermitage, but it may have been enslaved African Americans who the Jacksons viewed as having special skills, such as blacksmithing.
Domestic and wild animal and fish bone suggest that the slaves hunted and fished for themselves to add to the provisions supplied by the Jacksons. Guns, knives, and fishing tools excavated from slave dwellings provide other evidence for these activities. The presence of coins, combined with documents that indicate payment to certain slaves, provide proof that they had money and therefore access to cash markets. They accumulated numerous possessions and probably traded with a local network of slaves from other plantations. Within each cabin we have excavated root cellars which all vary in their size and construction. Their presence in the standardized housing indicates that they were built by the slaves and may have been used to store food, their possessions, and possibly items that they wanted to hide from the Jacksons.
Although the slaves had some material possessions and lived in what would be considered larger than average slave dwellings, they were none-the-less not free. While Jackson cared for his slaves as evidenced by adequate food, housing, and the ability of the slave women to reproduce, slavery was a brutal and cruel system. When Jackson felt offenses were severe, he did permit slaves to be whipped and did post runaway notices.
We can hardly understand what it must have been like to be enslaved. But, through the things that these individuals left behind, we can glimpse how these African Americans survived.
Hannah and Aaron Jackson
Hannah Jackson, c. 1880Aaron was only six years old when he was bought by Andrew Jackson in 1791 and Hannah was less than twelve years old when purchased in 1794. As was common custom, Aaron and Hannah were likely named by their original owner and not provided with surnames. They took the surname “Jackson” following emancipation.
Hannah was Rachel Jackson’s “personal companion” and later became head of the “house servants.” Aaron was trained as a blacksmith, an important position on the plantation. Hannah and Aaron married around 1820 and raised ten children who all lived to adulthood. Their names were Byron, Rachel, Charlotte, Moses, Mary, Martha, Abraham, Ned, Margaret Ellen, and George Washington.
Hannah was present at the death of both Rachel and Andrew Jackson. When Andrew Jackson Junior and his wife Sarah briefly moved to Mississippi in between 1858 and 1860, they entrusted care of The Hermitage to Hannah and Aaron.
Despite the seemingly close relationship between Hannah and Aaron, and the Jackson Family, Hannah and her daughter Martha fled The Hermitage to Nashville to gain their freedom during the Civil War even though the slaves had not yet been freed. In Nashville Hannah worked as a midwife and Aaron as a huckster. Aaron died in 1878 and Hannah about 1895.
SNIP SNIP (you should read the rest of the page) Goes on about her descendents.
Betty’s son Alfred assisted with the horses, maintained the wagons and the farm equipment, and after emancipation was a tenant farmer on The Hermitage. He lived at The Hermitage longer than anyone, white or black, and worked as a handyman and tour guide for the Ladies’ Hermitage Association when the house opened as a museum. He died in 1901 and his funeral was held in the center hall of the mansion. Alfred is buried in the Hermitage garden, near Jackson’s tomb.
George’s wife Amanthus lived on another plantation and we know nothing about their children. In the late 1840’s, Amanthus’ owner moved to Memphis and the Jacksons hired George out to a Donelson relative there so he could be near her. Squire Hayes and his wife Gincy (b. 1811), a weaver, had at least fourteen children (Morgan, Betty, Amanthus, Alexander, Buck, Hannah, Jim, Matilda, Cancer, George/Davy, Smith, Molly, Squire, Tom). Squire and Gincy lived in the Hermitage neighborhood after emancipation.
But in reality, the staff faced the prospects of being broken up and sold or inherited by some fluff head son or daughter that didn't inspire confidence. And I can see where if the son went off to war to avenge their father, SOME slaves may have chosen to go with him.. Not judging the choice, but there was more loyalty than 21st Century Black history wants you to believe.. NOBODY in that war was a spectator.
Can't argue with that. But how many pictures in the Library of Congress had that poor kid posed for before.. 
