Quinn

**Josephine Hunter**
Birthday: June 20th, 1830

Hometown: Jasper, Alabama

Profession: Housewife

School: Home

Favorite Books: Gulliver’s Travels

Political Views: Democratic

Religious Views: Christian

Hobbies: Cooking, reading, and painting.

Likes: Reading or painting under the Dogwood tree in the yard, chocolate cakes with icing, singing when nobody’s around.

Dislikes: The North’s opinion on the South, having little to do during the day, corsets.

Favorite Quotes: “The man may call himself superior, but the woman can train him like a hound dog.” My Mother, Patricia

Bio: I am Josephine Hunter. My husband and close friends call me Josie. Our slaves call me Miss Josie. I don’t mind. I think my husband, Lucas, minds though. Lucas thinks they don’t have the right to call me Josie. He doesn’t understand why I let them. I live in Jasper, Alabama, on a tobacco farm. It’s not that big, we only have seven slaves, one adult male, Robert, his frail mother, Julia, Robert’s wife, Mattie and their four children. Of the children, three are male, Sam, Nigel, and Alden. Trisha, their daughter, is fifteen and the youngest, Alden, is four. I am kind to them, and they respect me. Sometimes when Lucas is working, I go to the cookhouse to help with the meals. The slaves don’t mock me for it, they’re grateful for my help. There are only two folks in the cookhouse without me. Lucas doesn’t know about how I work alongside Mattie and Trisha. Other then the slaves, its just Lucas, my daughter, Lizabeth and me here on the farm. Trisha and Lizabeth are the same age.

Photos Notes

Status Updates:

1852:** I was reading in the study, and Lucas ran in with an anti-slavery book. "This is an outrage! None of this is true! This is a load of &*$@*!!!" I covered Lizabeth's ears and scolded him for such language in front of a young lady. He responded by throwing the book on the floor and storming off. I flipped through the pages and put the book on the shelf. It may not be true here, but it was probably true elsewhere. (Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin) 1850:** Lucas found me under the Dogwood tree today. He sat down next to me to show me something incredible. A new state, there hasn't been one for a while. I hugged Lizabeth close to my heart as I listened. He held up his papers, weekly news. His favorite reading. There was a new state. California. Surprised, I listened to his rants about how it probably had good land for farming, yet it was a free state. I sighed and reminding him of the nice land here, but he didn't think it was big enough. He wanted a lake to fish in, and a forest to hunt in. He wanted a huge field for his crops. Again, I told him we were happy here and that everything we needed was here. He accepted.
 * 1860:** A few weeks ago, as I sat in the study, Lucas stormed in waving a newspaper and shouting, "That bastard Lincoln was elected president!" He was obviously furious for obvious reasons. He knew Lincoln was anti-slavery. And I knew he loved being master of a plantation, even a small one. "Lincoln will free our slaves! He shouldn't be president if he'll ruin our Southern way of life!"
 * 1859:** I noticed Lucas eying the slaves a little strange today. I asked him what was wrong, and he showed me a newspaper. John Brown attacks Harpers Ferry**.** I was shocked when I had finished the whole thing, but he had been captured, and that's what mattered. I was glad to be so far from this attack. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. I later asked Robert what he thought of the story. He responded with, "If I were to lose my family, I would fight for their freedom, more so then my own. I don't want anything bad to happen to them."
 * 1858:** I heard a carriage coming down the dusty road today. I looked out the window to see several old horses. I ran downstairs in time to see a young slave taking bags out of the carriage as a white man helped a frail woman out. I approached, and recognized the man and the slave immediately. "Lucas!" I shouted, "You've come home!" I ran to him and welcomed him back with a kiss. "I thought you'd never return!" "Well, I had to help Mother move." I greeted my mother-in-law politely and assisted her inside as Nigel and Sam took the luggage inside. Lizabeth greeted her Grandmother warmly. I guess we have someone new living with us.
 * 1857:** Today, I walked in on Lucas packing his bags. "Slave owners are allowed to bring their slaves into free states! I'm going to visit my dear old mother. I'm bringing Sam with me, Robert has orders to protect you. I'll be home in a few months!" I pleaded with him not to go, but he said his mother was sick and he wanted to bring her presents and 'get well's. I watched as he rode off with Sam on a pony by his side. That man does have a soft spot for children, even black ones.
 * 1856:** Lucas was quite cheerful today. A pro-slavery representative attacked and beat an anti-slavery senator and didn't get in trouble for it. I sipped my lemonade, and listened carefully as I usually do. Lucas was thrilled that the anti-slavery government was making a ruckus about about all the new free states. I pretended to care.
 * 1855:** Today, I found one of Lucas' many newspapers in the study. After much studying, I found out that Kansas was having a vote to decide whether it would be a slave state or not. Lizabeth walked in wearing her nightgown. I picked her up and took her to her room. I called to Trisha to help me dress her. I slipped Trisha the paper and told her to hide it where Lucas wouldn't find it, and to deliver it to her father that night. Robert needed to know about it.
 * 1854:** Lucas was thinking of moving to some of the Northern territory, now that it was open to slavery. I was able to talk him out of it, seeing as I loved this land, and knew it by heart. Lucas was a little surprised I wasn't thrilled, since I complained about the heat during the summer. "But it's the North! It's not as hot there!" He argued. I gave him the look that meant 'Shush, I don't want to hear any of it'.
 * 1853:
 * 1851: