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Social Studies 5: Davis Bend: Symbol of the Dashed Hopes of Reconstruction 17 Views


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Description:

Meet the Jeffersons. No, not the TV family. No, not the cartoon about the people living in the future - that's The Jetsons. Oof. You really need a history lesson.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:00

[Dino and Coop singing]

00:08

Today, we're talking about Davis Bend, Mississippi, an area of land and cotton plantation originally [Field of cotton]

00:14

owned by Jefferson and Joseph Davis. [Jefferson and Davis appear]

00:16

Jefferson Davis was best known as being the President of the Confederate States of America

00:20

during the Civil War.

00:21

In case you've forgotten, that's the side that was pro-slavery, and the side that lost. [Davis stood in front of a confederate flag]

00:25

But let's take a step back. [The confederate flag disappears]

00:27

Before the war, Jefferson's brother Joseph ran the plantation as what he hoped would

00:31

become the model for all good slave plantations, where he did his best to treat his slaves

00:36

well and give them a little bit of freedom here and there. [Slave smiling and is then put in a cage]

00:39

Though not enough freedom to y'know, actually… be free.

00:42

Then the whole Civil War thing happened, which as you know, didn't end too well for the Davis [Pictures of the war]

00:47

brothers and their Confederate pals.

00:49

This loss was at least partly Jefferson's fault, because he wasn't very good at coming [Jefferson riding a horse]

00:52

up with war strategies, which is kind of important… when you’re in a war.

00:56

He also printed lots and lots of Confederate money to finance the war. [Jefferson printing money on a photocopier]

01:00

Which sounds like a pretty good way to get more money, right?

01:03

Except the more money there is, the less money is worth. [Graph showing devaluing]

01:05

Think of it like pizza – if there's only one slice left, everyone wants it, so the [People fighting over a slice of pizza]

01:10

value goes up.

01:11

But if there's a hundred slices, then everyone stops being desperate for it, and the value [People lying on the floor surronded by pizza]

01:15

goes down.

01:16

As the Confederacy lost, the Union invaded and Joseph was forced to flee the Davis Bend [Joseph running away]

01:21

plantation, leaving the slaves to run it on their own. [Slave is left behind]

01:24

After all was said and done, the Union decided that the plantation should belong to the freed

01:28

slaves and be like a paradise for them. [Waiter brings drinks to slaves sat on a beach in deckchairs]

01:31

Davis ended up selling the land to one of his most savvy and successful former

01:33

slaves, Benjamin Montgomery.

01:37

At first, things didn't go so bad for Benjamin.

01:39

But then the price of cotton plummeted... [Graph showing the price of cotton going down]

01:41

Needless to say, being the black owner of a cotton plantation wasn't exactly paradise. [All the nice things at the beach disappear]

01:46

And to make matters even worse, Jefferson Davis only had to spend a brief time in jail [Jefferson Davis's cell unlocks]

01:51

before being pardoned for his war crimes and released.

01:54

And, surprise, surprise, he came right back to Davis Bend and campaigned to get it back. [Jefferson Davis arrives at his old plantation]

01:59

And because life is not a Disney movie and not all stories have a happy ending, by 1878, [The slaves are dancing in a nice field, it then begins to rain and they look unhappy]

02:04

Jefferson Davis got his wish and Davis Bend was returned to the Davis family.

02:08

We know what you're thinking: is there no justice in this world? [Girl looking angry]

02:11

Nope, not always.

02:19

That's why we watch a lot of Disney movies and eat a lot of pizza.

02:20

“And they lived happily ever.... wait a second!”

02:21

Show his tombstone.

02:22

“Here Lies Jefferson Davis – a man who died before the internet or TV or video games

02:23

or even Doritos.

02:24

Chump!”

02:25

Shmooper watching a happy Disney ending, "If only real life was like this…"

02:26

Blue Fairy appears.

02:27

Shmooper: "Blue Fairy!

02:28

Are you here to make real life better?"

02:29

Blue Fairy: "No.

02:30

I smelled pizza.

02:31

Scoot over."

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