Plantation Tours (1 Viewer)

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Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime

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Some people are going on a plantation tour to learn about the history of the plantation and are upset by the history of the plantation

Tough shirt
=========================

“It was just not what we expected.”

“I was depressed by the time I left.”

“ … the tour was more of a scolding of the old South.”

“The brief mentions of the former owners were defamatory.”

“Would not recommend. Tour was all about how hard it was for the slaves,” wrote one reviewer of the Whitney Plantation in Louisiana.

These are a few of the apparently negative reviews posted online about guided tours of Southern plantations, some of which went viral Thursday after former Colorado congressional candidate Saira Rao tweeted a screenshot of one.............

 
I find that surprising. I went to Oak Alley in Vacherie, albeit just under 5 years ago now, and the tour there was pretty much all about the family that owned it back in the day. They directed us to the slave housing area but that part of the experience wasn't guided it was something you did on your own before or after the tour of the house. My friend was in University at the time at actually mentioned to me how crazy it was to her that none of the tour was really about the slavery aspect of plantation life whilst back in CA at the public school and University level that's mainly what they talk about it when it comes to the South. Honestly I just figured it was something intentionally glossed over for the general tour and to be fair to the guide no one asked any questions about that aspect either.

Obviously different plantations have different history and points of emphasis on their tours. Having only been to the one my sample size is virtually non-existent but this article makes me wonder if it was just Oak Alley specifically or if they've all added more information about the negative aspects of that period as the years have gone by.
 
Quite a few good articles from the Washington Post are linked here on the EE board, but I can't get past the paywall to read them. Just the Post though. Other new sites/papers seem to have no trouble keeping it free with just the ad revenue.

Edit: Oh and WSJ too.
 
Saintslfc13 said:
I find that surprising. I went to Oak Alley in Vacherie, albeit just under 5 years ago now, and the tour there was pretty much all about the family that owned it back in the day. They directed us to the slave housing area but that part of the experience wasn't guided it was something you did on your own before or after the tour of the house. My friend was in University at the time at actually mentioned to me how crazy it was to her that none of the tour was really about the slavery aspect of plantation life whilst back in CA at the public school and University level that's mainly what they talk about it when it comes to the South. Honestly I just figured it was something intentionally glossed over for the general tour and to be fair to the guide no one asked any questions about that aspect either.

Obviously different plantations have different history and points of emphasis on their tours. Having only been to the one my sample size is virtually non-existent but this article makes me wonder if it was just Oak Alley specifically or if they've all added more information about the negative aspects of that period as the years have gone by.
Click to expand...

The slave quarters and such were just recently added to Oak Alley (within the last ten years....maybe 5 years). Basically, every plantation in our area ignored the slavery aspect of their individual histories. It simply was a negative.....it doesn't make you feel particularly "good". Just recently, a lot of the plantations sprinkled in some of the slavery stuff for historical context, but it is rarely mentioned on the actual tour. Whitney Plantation flipped the script and it is primarily about slavery. The ugly truths. You certainly don't come out smiling. It's kind of like going to the Holocaust museum.
 
Bayouboy said:
The slave quarters and such were just recently added to Oak Alley (within the last ten years....maybe 5 years). Basically, every plantation in our area ignored the slavery aspect of their individual histories. It simply was a negative.....it doesn't make you feel particularly "good". Just recently, a lot of the plantations sprinkled in some of the slavery stuff for historical context, but it is rarely mentioned on the actual tour. Whitney Plantation flipped the script and it is primarily about slavery. The ugly truths. You certainly don't come out smiling. It's kind of like going to the Holocaust museum.
Click to expand...

Cheers. I had told her at the time "Why would you want to highlight such a negative aspect to people visiting your business? Also, this is the South and things are romanticized a bit over here compared to where we're from". That's interesting about Whitney though, after Oak Alley I figured if you've seen one plantation house you've pretty much seen them all besides the little details. I wouldn't mind checking that out though even if it's obviously not the most jovial of subjects. I have always wanted to go the the Myrtles for the haunted aspect and all that (though I've never taken the FQ ghost tours as I feel like I know the history already so what's the point if no one else is interested) but have never pulled the trigger on it. I tried to pull it off last time but the group I was with had this crazy idea that they would see Alligators in 20 degree weather (was there for the Minnesota Mircale weekend) and we did the swamp tour instead. All of my trips as an adult have been with first timers though so usually it's hit the Quarter hard and I'll branch off on my own one morning and catch a Liverpool game, if they're playing that weekend, at Finn's in mid-city and make sure to hit up a couple bars and restaurants I'm familiar with but ultimately let them guide the trip. I can usually pull them from Bourbon to Frenchman at least one night though so that's always fun.

Not entirely related but I just recently learned about the cruise to Chalmette Battlefield, that's definitely on the agenda for me next time I get out there. History is so fascinating to me and Louisiana with New Orleans in particular is so rich in it, it's why I fell in love with the area and subsequently the Saints for that matter but as I said if you're not with the right crowd it's not easy to drum up the interest to spend the cash to do these things.
 
Brad Mojo said:
Quite a few good articles from the Washington Post are linked here on the EE board, but I can't get past the paywall to read them. Just the Post though. Other new sites/papers seem to have no trouble keeping it free with just the ad revenue.

Edit: Oh and WSJ too.
Click to expand...

Try googling Washington Post and the article title sometimes there is a link (like msn) that you can read the whole article
 
It's the South, Abby, we encumber you with hospitality.
 
CHARLOTTESVILLE — A Monticello tour guide was explaining how enslaved people built, planted and tended a terrace of vegetables at Thomas Jefferson’s estate earlier this summer when a woman interrupted to share her annoyance.

“Why are you talking about that?” she demanded, according to Gary Sandling, vice president of Monticello’s visitor programs and services. “You should be talking about the plants."

At Monticello, George Washington’s Mount Vernon and other plantations across the South, an effort is underway to deal more honestly with the brutal institution that the Founding Fathers relied on to build their homes and their wealth: slavery...........

 

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