A Day in the Life of an Enslaved Cook | These Roots Episode 2

These Roots, is a series that explores the day to day lives of Black people across America in the 18th and 19th centuries. The second episode follows an enslaved cook named Caesar at Stratford Hall Plantation.  Thank you Patrons for making this project possible!

Next episode will be posted to my Patreon in August.

Thank you Patreon Patrons for making videos like this possible!

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Music-
Dial M Credits

[nicolelovett]

I noticed he didn't look in the eyes of the mistress while speaking to him and seeming so defeated. That one moment just felt so depressing to me. Bless all our ancestors whose lives were swallowed by enslavement...

[j.munday]

The thing is, as an unexperienced 17 year old wife who was essentially put in charge of the household management and by extension the enslaved house workers (yikes) - not only was she probably careless with their work items (like just wandering off with the bowl and touching all the food without probably having any idea what it really was) but they had to teach her without "teaching" her. The fine lines they walked back then while being expected to behave perfectly (meek, obedient, happy with being enslaved) must have been a total mindf***. Its not just the backbreaking labor, but the mental abuse they suffered as well. It's exactly like being in an abusive relationship.... being hit isn't the worst part. The mental abuse and fear is.

[tsukikage]

It's fascinating to watch the code switching Caesar employs between talking to his enslavers (knowledgeable but with a false sense of ineloquence, never making eye contact) and fellow enslaved persons (just normal co-workers communicating).

[natalieshepp]

Imagine! Being pretty much a world-renowned chef, knowing that you have mastered so many dishes, and if you weren't enslaved, you could be anything in the world. And having to be under a 17-year-old girl, who knew absolutely nothing about how to run the kitchen?? The code switching had to be absolutely crazy back then.

[loulou]

It is crazy, this man was so skilled he could be a TV chef in the modern era but he wasn't even paid for his labor. Slavery is an awful institution and thank you for shedding light on this history.

[GeeklingNo]

That look when the slave ownder left and he just moved the bowl back into the right place. It’s the little acts of defiance.

Edit: Please be respectful to each other in the comments. This was meant to be a nice post with a little bit of debate. Not an all-out war

[CastielWillow]

GREAT episode. Y'all do a wonderful job of portraying the enslaved/enslaver dynamic as it must have been--so tense and careful on one side, so very unaware and entitled on the other. Completely unromanticised, and also unsensationalized. Things don't have to be brutal or overtly violent to be so very, very wrong.

[caplife]

Caesar also had to remember all of the details that the mistress told him perfectly without writing it down. With only 1 assistant. While not getting paid. And not being able to look the enslaver in the eye or speak normally. Very difficult and really brings home the cruelty and absurdity of enslavement.

[nataliefromnormandya]

These videos kill me. Regardless of how polite the “mistress” puts on, the element of slavery is never missing. The chef speaks in an emasculated manner even as he’s clearly attempting to lead her to better choices. Thank you so very much for creating this content.

[My_mid-victorian_crisis]

Thank you for elevating Cesare to his proper status in the kitchen. In the culinary world Chef is, still, the ruler of their domain. The horrific history of African enslavement is such a blight on human kind. Thank you, so much, for combating the propaganda.

[CharlieApples]

As a cook myself, I knew exactly why the camera kept focusing on the enslaver’s hands touching all the food and moving things around. She was unwittingly messing up his mis en place—the way that chefs arrange all of the things they’ll need ahead of time so they’ll be right there and ready to go when they need them. Having to stop and search for something in the middle of cooking is not only frustrating, but can distract you long enough that food overcooks or begins to burn. Every chef has their own preferred way of arranging their mis en place, and once it’s set, NOBODY TOUCHES ANYTHING.

It was so uncomfortable watching him watching her in his peripheral vision, not allowed to ask anything of her, or even to tell her why she shouldn’t be doing that. He just had to clean up after her, no matter what. I practically cheered when he sighed and moved the bowl back to where it was supposed to be.

These videos are fantastic glimpses into not-so-distant history. Full of humanity and intelligent details.

[thelostremainunfound]

Even if it has taken over 200 years, I’m glad Caesar’s story was told. I really like that while he was talked about for his skill and ability to run a tight kitchen, that he wasn’t played up as an ass to those he was in charge of. Well put together and kind is something I don’t think I’ve seen much out of history when it comes to enslaved people. It seems like often only the ones willing to rebel are talked about, which makes me sad as it doesn’t give justice to those who never knew life outside of enslavement. I don’t think American history stresses enough just how many people never saw freedom because they want to act like it wasn’t normal for them to rob entire families of their dignity and freedom for generations.

My favorite is when they act like those who enslaved others didn’t know it was wrong. There are accounts of Jefferson “beating himself up” about slavery and participating in it and I’ve had teachers try to spin that and make him a good guy somehow. They had to make up religious reasons as to why enslaving people was okay because they were highly aware of their own hypocrisy and that honestly makes it so much worse.

Thank you for showing the lives of those who weren’t somehow big enough to make it into popular streams of history. It’s been really enlightening to understand the day to day and that there didn’t need to be violence towards them for it to be demeaning.

[paige-uecs]

He and his son were both enslaved for the entirety of BOTH their lives. That hits hard.

[thecanaryfromthemines]

This is a side of history that we never learn, thank you so much for this series!

[trenae]

Dontavius has very compelling and expressive eyes. His entire demeanor is impressive to watch! Thank you, Cheney, for introducing us to yet another skilled interpreter of history!

[rockercaterrorencountered]

I can't imagine the levels of anxiety this man must have felt throughout his entire life. The be responsible for that much and face abuse when even the slightest thing was out of place, it's a wonder it didn't drive him totally mad.

[ScarletShade]

It's so painful to watch this - please don't get me wrong! This is incredibly well made and I would count your channel among the most educating and an absolute must-watch on YouTube.
But the reality hits so, so hard. Thinking that this was the life and reality of so many humans for so long...
I admit, before discovering this channel I only knew the "hallmarks" of the history of enslavement in the US. But you make it somehow tangible (might not be the right word for it, but I don't know how to put it into words otherwise).
Enough rambling.
Thank you for this amazing video and I am looking forward to the next one!

[LilFrg]

I can't imagine being this EXTREMELY talented chef and having to answer to a 17-year-old in such a passive way... It's hard to watch it's so well executed

[birdsephone]

I really like the emphasis on Elizabeth never getting her hands "physically" dirty. We know what you're saying, and the way you say it with so few words is masterful.

[mandyjones]

being an Apache woman, the whole video filled me with a sense of dread and doom and insight, but the most gutting and humbling part was hearing the final statement that both Caesar and Caesar Jr. were enslaved for their entire lives.

SO many people lived this way and hearing the story of “just” those two individuals (and Vic the last episode) out of THOUSANDS...it’s overwhelming, and it should be. every american, nah, everyBODY needs to see this series