“Some of the most notable slave revolts, like Gabriel's Rebellion and Nat Turner's Rebellion, were actually planned at barbecues. … The enslaved workers would be using a barbecue gathering together as sort of an excuse, but they were actually plotting revolt.”
BBQ Nation · Food & Beverage · November 2026
Context
Asked whether plantation barbecues were a kindness or a means of control, he says the history is complicated, and that the gatherings were later curtailed out of fear of revolt.
Transcript
Yeah, I think it's absolutely wonderful. I love tracing. I love genealogy in general and sort of using that same kind of technique to trace the barbecue genealogy from one pit master back to another, back to another, before them.
…about that because I'm not that familiar with it. But it seemed to me they could have a good time. They usually didn't drink or anything. There was no alcohol normally in a lot of those. But it seemed to be a big party just for them. But they could invite friends from other plantations and stuff.
…is always sort of a mixed thing because, yes, the enslaved workers would host their own barbecues. Sometimes we're allowed to raise their own animals or might be given a pig, would cook for Christmas and celebration barbecues. But also, you know, some of the most notable slave revolts, like Gabrielle's Rebellion and Nat Turner's Rebellion, were actually planned at barbecues. And, you know, so the enslaved workers would be using a barbecue gathering together as sort of an excuse, but they were actually plotting revolt. And in Virginia, in particular, that got really sharply curtailed after the 1830s. And very much then, barbecues became a, I mean, everyone likes going to barbecue and eating it. It's hard to not like that. Right. But you're right. It was very complicated because it was in many ways a means of control or sort of like, oh, yeah, one day a year, we'll throw a party for you. And then, you know, in…
yeah, next day it was back to the cotton fields and the stocks.
And if you read the accounts of it, I mean, yes, I think, you know, if you read slave narratives, those were very enjoyable days. It was a celebration, but they're usually bookended by some very, very disturbing passages about the conditions before and after that day. So it's pretty, pretty clear…
going to take another break. Robert and I will be back, and I'm going to get Robert to stick around for the after hours because this is great stuff. You're listening to Barbecue Nation on the Sun BGI Radio Network.
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