Fermes Ornées of the Lower Mississippi River Valley: Examining the social language of plantation gardens in relationship to planter elite culture
Abstract
This dissertation considers social patterns among plantation elites living in the Lower Mississippi River Valley during the antebellum era. The construction of their social reality will be explored by using gardens as windows through which to view patterns of social perception and interaction. The historical consideration of gardens has typically been characterized by works that are predominantly photo essays rather than serious examinations of the social meaning of landscape architecture within a specific social construct. This is largely true of discussions about southern gardens. A few studies have focused upon gardens of the tidewater regions in the Old South: Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia. However, a unique and important grouping, consisting of plantation estates and surrounding gardens in the Lower Mississippi River Valley has not been systematically studied. An examination of Thomas Jefferson's estate at Monticello provides an historical context within which to place the southern horticultural experience. Jefferson and the landscapes he constructed had a profound effect on members of the planter elite. The prevalence of horticulture and gardening within the social milieu of the planter is also investigated. Typically, these spaces provided venues for personal interaction among members of the elite class. Gardens are also viewed from a broader perspective—how these spaces have marked time in the history of the planter elite from antebellum to modern eras. The plantation gardens of the Lower Mississippi River Valley reflect important transformations in the culture of the planter class in the years following the Civil War. For example, through historic preservation the southern elite of this region attempt to promote and preserve the richness of their cultural heritage.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
May, Purdue University.
Subject Area
American history|Landscaping
Off-Campus Purdue Users:
To access this dissertation, please log in to our
proxy server.