A Day in the Life of an Enslaved Cook | These Roots Episode 2

These Roots, is a series that explores the day to day lives of Black people across America in the 18th and 19th centuries. The second episode follows an enslaved cook named Caesar at Stratford Hall Plantation. Thank you Patrons for making this project possible!
Dontavius Williams is a talented interpreter and actor who brings to life the stories of the ancestors. Support another black interpreter by getting Adam's kitchen pepper from The Chronicles of Adam- thechronicleso...
Next episode will be posted to my Patreon in August.
This is a unique project! The entire production team is Black from the producers to the director to the DP. To support this work please become a patron on Patreon. / notyourmommas.. . It takes 2 full months of Patreon support to pay for the production of one episode.
Thank you Patreon Patrons for making videos like this possible!
Website- NotYourMommasHistory.com
Facebook- / not-yo. .
Instagram- NotYourMommasHistory
Music-
Dial M Credits
Dial M by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommon....
Source: www.twinmusicom....
Artist: www.twinmusicom...

[@nicolelovett8467]

I noticed he didn't look in the eyes of the mistress while speaking to him and seeming so defeated. That one moment just felt so depressing to me. Bless all our ancestors whose lives were swallowed by enslavement...

[@nicolelovett8467]

*while speaking to her, the white lady i meant

[@americanlady738]

Our great grandparents and depending on how old you are our grandparents weren't allowed to look white people in the eye either.

[@dontaviuswilliams206]

But if you noticed, that switched when she left the room. It’s called code switching. Not defeated at all. Just playing her game with her.

[@jules2291]

@@americanlady738 So sad and yet so true , I mean indians werent enslaved but our ancestors did live in extreme poverty because of the british duties and taxes , our citizens died in the conflict , and yet indians today still want to willingly work and live in the UK because of the luxuries - after everything they did to us .

[@americanlady738]

@@dontaviuswilliams206 As we still do.

[@tsukikage]

It's fascinating to watch the code switching Caesar employs between talking to his enslavers (knowledgeable but with a false sense of ineloquence, never making eye contact) and fellow enslaved persons (just normal co-workers communicating).

[@loulou3676]

I noticed that too! Both of them are so talented at acting

[@jscire__872]

It’s such a harrowing detail of the reality that people loved through

[@anglerfish4161]

I noticed that as well, and how he subtly made all the decisions that required actual knowledge of how to run a kitchen, while having to allow for the enslaver mistress to make the final word. It shows how absurd the foundation of white supremacy is. Imagine having a world-class chef working for you and letting a 17-year-old go "yes, you may do that".

[@tsukikage]

@@anglerfish4161 I hear you, but even in the context of well-paid world-class chefs who are hired to cater events, it would still make perfect sense for the chef to run final menu decisions by the person who's actually organizing or hosting the event. One would hope there would be a much greater cooperative spirit involved, though, and certainly no need for the chef to play meek and humble like that.

[@anglerfish4161]

@@tsukikage I'm sure in a modern context, the person running a high class event would be older and have a lot better qualifications to judge the quality of the catering than "white" and "woman"

[@j.munday7913]

The thing is, as an unexperienced 17 year old wife who was essentially put in charge of the household management and by extension the enslaved house workers (yikes) - not only was she probably careless with their work items (like just wandering off with the bowl and touching all the food without probably having any idea what it really was) but they had to teach her without "teaching" her. The fine lines they walked back then while being expected to behave perfectly (meek, obedient, happy with being enslaved) must have been a total mindf***. Its not just the backbreaking labor, but the mental abuse they suffered as well. It's exactly like being in an abusive relationship.... being hit isn't the worst part. The mental abuse and fear is.

[@douglasvilledarling2935]

Most likely the girl grew up in a household with slaves and her mother trained her all her life. Teenagers back then were much more responsible

[@lauram7929]

I agreed and idk wtf Douglasville is on

[@Yes-iu3kr]

"Back then"? I know a lot of people still battle similar situations even now.

[@nahjaealcorn7011]

@@douglasvilledarling2935 yeah I’m pretty sure another video mentioned how prepared the teens were to take on that role when getting married. But who knows.

[@tspopstar512]

Sounds like working in corporate as a black American

[@natalieshepp641]

Imagine! Being pretty much a world-renowned chef, knowing that you have mastered so many dishes, and if you weren't enslaved, you could be anything in the world. And having to be under a 17-year-old girl, who knew absolutely nothing about how to run the kitchen?? The code switching had to be absolutely crazy back then.

[@janaekelis]

i absolutely hated the way she said "yes you may do that" 😑 i am the one giving all the suggestions don't tell me what to do

[@arriannaniv]

Unfortunately all chefs are treated pretty badly unless you’re actually famous even now. My husband has been in the industry for 10 years and none of the chefs he’s worked with have been shown any respect. So while it would be better for him today, it still wouldn’t be good enough for him. It’s a shitty industry..

[@soffiegirl1027]

@@arriannaniv “would be better” is the understatement of the century lol. Yes I would imagine things would a hell of a lot better with his own freedom to live his life with dignity and autonomy.

[@anna-mariadavis5914]

@@arriannaniv he was an enslaved ma’am

[@paluxyl.8682]

If I would be rich like Bruce Wayne , my old butler Alfred should should also listen even what my kids say . If I would run a buisness , all the people should listen to what my family want ......... if not , I would fire them .

[@CastielWillow]

GREAT episode. Y'all do a wonderful job of portraying the enslaved/enslaver dynamic as it must have been--so tense and careful on one side, so very unaware and entitled on the other. Completely unromanticised, and also unsensationalized. Things don't have to be brutal or overtly violent to be so very, very wrong.

[@natalieshepp641]

Wow! Your last few words about how it didnt have to be overly violent to be very wrong, hit me between thr eyes!!!

[@lorrilewis2178]

^^^ THIS ^^^ People forget that although not all owners were brutal, the slave was still a slave - freedom and payment denied - subject to being sold.

[@aoifecraddock6164]

100% agree. This is just as chilling and horrifying as any Tarantino-esque brutally violent representation, and the way it’s showing what was an everyday mundane routine just highlights that even more.

[@CMAlongi]

I genuinely thought that actor had forgotten his lines or something, was looking at cue-cards off-screen...then the mistress left, scullery maid came in and it was a COMPLETE SHIFT. Blew my mind.

[@AmandistheG]

Your recreating the slavery of a Freemason dummy

[@nataliefromnormandya1135]

These videos kill me. Regardless of how polite the “mistress” puts on, the element of slavery is never missing. The chef speaks in an emasculated manner even as he’s clearly attempting to lead her to better choices. Thank you so very much for creating this content.

[@silverhawkflash]

I noticed he actively avoids eye contact with her.

[@ahhh6328]

Even when he suggests that "we can go down" to get eggs from other people, she deflects it and says "YOU could do that"

[@veslarkinson]

I wouldn’t say emasculated is the right word-subservient or something similar is more like it

[@shbt8875]

Yes I can’t even stomach it just imagining this mess taking place in life 🤦🏾

[@ReginaTrans_]

I might be white but I’m trans and I live in Mexico, my family doesn’t want me to travel, white people here live in gated communities and the white Mexican people created an Elite, everyone has 2 housekeepers, gardeners, and many more services that they almost pay for free (very cheap hand labor) obviously made by the indigenous Mexicans outside these gated communities, btw these gated communities are now the size of a city with malls and big buildings inside, no joke, watching all these videos make me upset cause it’s what places like Mexico and probably other countries are still living. Me as a transgender, you will say “darling if you were a straight male you would be doing the same thing”, and honestly I don’t know that, I only know all my life has been like this, it’s funny how all my siblings, cousins, uncles, aunts from both sides have expensive college degrees, visas, passports, etc and I’m the only one who doesn’t, a lot of people who are like me die young from many things, I’m still here and I’m 32, but I don’t even know how to explain but I relate to this video a lot !!!!!!

[@cap4life1]

Caesar also had to remember all of the details that the mistress told him perfectly without writing it down. With only 1 assistant. While not getting paid. And not being able to look the enslaver in the eye or speak normally. Very difficult and really brings home the cruelty and absurdity of enslavement.

[@My_mid-victorian_crisis]

Thank you for elevating Cesare to his proper status in the kitchen. In the culinary world Chef is, still, the ruler of their domain. The horrific history of African enslavement is such a blight on human kind. Thank you, so much, for combating the propaganda.

[@marjoleinsmolders1630]

Hello Kelley, I have a question I am from Europe, what propaganda do you mean? Just curious!

[@loulou3676]

@@marjoleinsmolders1630 In some places in the USA, the horrors of slavery are downplayed. For instance a lot of Americans have a misconception that conditions for enslaved people working in the house were not that bad, or even that since slaveowners fed and housed the enslaved people that therefore conditions were okay. I think it's the human instinct to want to not imagine how bad things really are, but it is doing a disservice to all those who suffered.

[@My_mid-victorian_crisis]

@@marjoleinsmolders1630 during the 1920's, as the last living Civil War soldiers were beginning to die of old age, a group called The Daughter of the (old) South began a propaganda campaign, downplaying the horrors of enslavement. Several war memorials went up to Southern "heroes", some claimed that Transportation and endenturement was as bad or worse as enslavement. Popular books were written making enslavement look like a feudal system (Gone with the Wind and Jezebel are prime examples). The worst hate group in American history was rebranded as a social club with National going out days, picnics and beach outings, where "Good, wholesome Americans" could enjoy themselves without being harassed. These "facts" are still taught in American schools today, North and South, East and West. This channel is doing a wonderful job a bringing the truth to light.

[@marjoleinsmolders1630]

@@loulou3676 thank you Lou for your explanation!

[@marjoleinsmolders1630]

@@My_mid-victorian_crisis thank you Kelley! I hope a lot of history books are going to be rewriten to give a different perspective about what happend in the past for US and also Europe.

[@loulou3676]

It is crazy, this man was so skilled he could be a TV chef in the modern era but he wasn't even paid for his labor. Slavery is an awful institution and thank you for shedding light on this history.

[@Nikotastik]

He could give give Gordon Ramsey a run for his money, and he must have been 1000x more kind.

[@brennathecatlover4360]

@@Nikotastik he cooked for a family and he had to be nice not train other chefs or made sure restaurants aren’t shit quality

[@user-us1yu8gx9s]

I was just thinking how the hell can you consider someone this incredibly skilled to be 3/4ths or not even a person. It's mind boggling

[@nbd6213]

@@brennathecatlover4360 girl shut up

[@user-us1yu8gx9s]

@@brennathecatlover4360 wtf stfu

[@thecanaryfromthemines]

This is a side of history that we never learn, thank you so much for this series!

[@cassidywilliams7187]

@@ReginaTrans_ you look mestizo to me

[@TheWorldIsGoingToShit]

If you don’t search it out, it’s not gonna fall on your lap.

[@thecanaryfromthemines]

@@TheWorldIsGoingToShit I agree pal, hence my original comment.

[@TheWorldIsGoingToShit]

@@thecanaryfromthemines there’s MANY aspects of history we never learned 🤷🏻‍♀️ too much, imo, is left out. Not only regarding black culture/history, but basically all cultures have wonderful lessons, fantastical ancestral stories, secrets and demons lurking just behind the curtain. They just pick and choose what we see.

[@TheWorldIsGoingToShit]

@@thecanaryfromthemines I’ve also never been called “pal” till just now 🤷🏻‍♀️ I feel like I should be at little league 😂

[@paige-ue9cs]

He and his son were both enslaved for the entirety of BOTH their lives. That hits hard.

[@cheriluna615]

I am literally watching how abused people act before my very eyes in historical context. It was so interesting because he made his voice non-threatening and softened his expression and stammered around the mistress but the MINUTE she left, his eyes got sharp and his voice went back to a normal register. He also shot a glare at her for moving his things, but ONLY when she left. Code switching is a sad response to horrible abuse. Also I noticed the Mistress get a bit of sternness in her voice when Ceasar mentioned there being no eggs to cook that day. As if the hens not laying is somehow HIS fault? Honestly, if he didn't have a plan for that, I almost wonder if that small offense would've had bad consequences. It looks like enslaved persons literally had to learn the language of the abused to survive: hypervigilance with tasks, code switching and being overly conscious of your tone, and even being harsh towards the enslaved persons under your watch in regards to how the house runs, perhaps as a way to teach them to avoid those small mistakes that could get them a harsh punishment, like the story of Hercules. Honestly as the story of Hercules was being told from a white persons perspective as an amused recounting of a particularly iron-fisted enslaved person who got shit done, all I could think of was the fact that abused persons often cycle harsh and strict ways of teaching onto others in their position as a weird means of protecting them. Sad, man.

[@sakrira]

Regarding Hercules, I think he might have also made sure everything was perfect for his own good, too. I anything didn't meet the enslaver's standard, I'm sure it's much easier for them to blame the head of the kitchen than to figure out what actually went wrong.

[@NokoFace]

"I almost wonder if that small offense would've had bad consequences. " Oh. It absolutely would have. Them not laying would have either been blamed on him, or on one of the enslaved people that work with the chickens, but someone WOULD be punished for it.

[@em6644]

Yes even the amused recounting from the enslaver/abuser. Like oh it’s so funny the way I’ve forced this person to live and all the coping mechanisms I’ve forced them to build…. It’s so dehumanising and unempathetic to live that closely with someone and still be so unaware of them and even unaware of the way your own behaviour impacts them.

[@gabriellef3351]

I can imagine putting on an iron fisted act for the slavers so they feel like you're protecting their interests and when they leave being normal again. There's a lot of reasons i can imagine he might have beem known for sternness

[@LequeenNae]

The attention to detail is amazing too. When the mistress was talking to the cook and moved his plate. You see him begrudgingly move it back with a disdainful look @6:09

[@KYLE1654-v7m]

He's like. "How dare you move my placement of the bowl!"

[@SeptemberMyth04]

It was more like 'If looks could kill'.

[@ScarletShade13]

It's so painful to watch this - please don't get me wrong! This is incredibly well made and I would count your channel among the most educating and an absolute must-watch on KZbin. But the reality hits so, so hard. Thinking that this was the life and reality of so many humans for so long... I admit, before discovering this channel I only knew the "hallmarks" of the history of enslavement in the US. But you make it somehow tangible (might not be the right word for it, but I don't know how to put it into words otherwise). Enough rambling. Thank you for this amazing video and I am looking forward to the next one!

[@VincentEdelstein]

Couldn’t agree more

[@IsThisTheHill]

Agreed. Seeing real people in the roles with recreated interactions brings the subject home in a visceral way. Heartbreaking but so important to understand.

[@nevem5010]

I feel the same. Something about the representation of the calm mundanity of a daily routine for an enslaved person brings home the reality of it all over again. Maybe it highlights just how normalised and entrenched owning human beings was in that place and time. The... ordinariness has its own horror about it, in a way.

[@allabouttina19]

Definitely agree this was painful to watch 🥺

[@l.m.2404]

The really important stuff is always hard to face, that's our inner conscience pointing us in the correct direction.

[@vysharra]

Keeping Elizabeth literally at an angle to the camera, and keeping our subject in the center of the shots (even if Caesar has to keep his gaze averted), is my favorite part of this. It’s literally putting us in the shoes of the Enslaved Persons in the household, who never looked the enslavers in the eye. Perfection! I also love Caesar’s soft hand with his hardworking scullery maid. Their lives are hard enough, they would have appreciated every little kindness. Without wages to motivate (and to maintain the awful working conditions) like in modern kitchens, it’s very logical that a particularly good boss would have the very best staff. Not that he would have tolerated anything less than the very best from his staff, but he gets it with a gentle hand since they all see the opposite possibility each day outside their door and swanning into their domain. Thank you for another beautiful story! Adam was fantastic in front of the camera and breathed life into Caesar so delicately. You were great too, again, of course (I like this outfit better, your kerchief is so pretty on camera and brings out the beautiful cool undertones in your complexion). I really appreciate the hard work of research, writing, acting, filming (and during the pandemic too!) so I will say thank you again. I really hope this takes off, it’s wonderfully entertaining.

[@Rachel-fi4sc]

I like this comment, but I'm confused. Who's Adam? The actor/interpreter's name is Dontavius, I thought?

[@vysharra]

@@Rachel-fi4sc I seem to have missed his name and instead supplied the creator of the pepper. Omg, I’m embarrassed 😳 . Thank you for correcting me!

[@YT4Me57]

Observe how well this actor/historian works. When the "mistress" arrived to go over the day's menu, he did not establish eye contact, in fact, he kept his body pointed away from her direction and his responses short and to the point. Yet as she left, he glared at her back with contempt. Well done.

[@SeptemberMyth04]

Guess he had to 'watch himself', so he doesn't seem disrespectful in any manner, or threatening in any way. They taught him well. Can't have him looking at her in some sort of way, nor overbearing.

[@mandyjones2804]

being an Apache woman, the whole video filled me with a sense of dread and doom and insight, but the most gutting and humbling part was hearing the final statement that both Caesar and Caesar Jr. were enslaved for their entire lives. SO many people lived this way and hearing the story of “just” those two individuals (and Vic the last episode) out of THOUSANDS...it’s overwhelming, and it should be. every american, nah, everyBODY needs to see this series

[@sarahelmore83]

This is the history that our kids should be taught in the classroom. Thank you for the wonderful work you put out.

[@lansmic]

haven’t seen anyone mention it yet, but the silence while they’re cooking is especially poignant. it’s not like the enslaved were friends making meals with each other for fun-they most likely had trauma bonds at best. it’s sad.

[@benjaminjo]

To be so incredibly skilled and talented, not a cook, but a Master Chef, the likes of whom earn millions of dollars today, relegated to the back of a hot kitchen, without pay, told what to do on a day-to-day basis by a white teenage girl...he would've been well-known today, but known not at all because he was never given due credit, nor ever compensated fairly, for his incredible work.

[@olive_loaf]

My favorite part about this is how you bring the humanity back to the enslaved people because they were just that, people. Real people who lived these realities. Not a fantasy race from an alternate reality. These were real stories lived by real people that deserve respect

[@MariaElenaVelasquez]

Notice how Caesar never looks the mistress directly in the eye. These small details were all developed by enslavers to establish power and superiority. Excellent portrayal, thank you for sharing this.

[@loriwise4117]

Thank you for showing us a side of history that was never taught in school.

[@mst3kluv]

I'm not American and didn't know about all of this

[@bcaye]

What? I was taught about this, way back in the 70s, in the US Midwest. What crap school did you attend?

[@cadileigh9948]

I was taught about this in the '50s on the Welsh borders. Realy shocked by US levels of ignorance. there's pleanty to self teach out there if you look too

[@vince3523]

What crap school did you go to? I recently graduated high school, and in both elementary and middle school, I was taught this history

[@Carmen-t2r]

The hesitancy in his voice while talking to the enslaver breaks my heart.. Edit: The fact about chefs giving food to children and pregnant women made me smile.. I'm glad they still looked out for each other despite their circumstances.

[@TheRogueDM]

This is great stuff Cheney. It's really opening my eyes to all the layers enslavers built their enslaved people to be portrayed as, with things like body language, how they spoke, their Roman names etc. It's horrible and uncomfortable but it *needs* to be taught.

[@dk3212]

Made my skin crawl when he wouldn't look at her. I'd have a hard time as an actress to be ok with that. I know we're acting, but to be ok with someone being so subservient makes me nauseous. Edit: I know why he didn't/wouldn't look at her. It's so hard to watch..

[@becaboo-dv8dp]

I hadn’t even picked up on the Roman name thing, but my goodness you’re absolutely right. I live near Mount Vernon and visit often. Many of Washington’s slaves also bore Roman names. What an insidiously subtle way of forcing Westerness/whiteness on them...

[@maxdondada]

This is both informative and infuriating. No human should ever own another. I am grateful to my ancestors for their sacrifice. May we never forget.

[@thelouisfanclub]

Even just an uneventful interaction like this can make me feel like crying. I hate that this happened. Like there’s nothing wrong with being a cook for a rich person but they have to treat you with basic respect. And if they treat you like shit you can leave and find another job. But this wasn’t an option for Caesar and so many others like him, they just had to accept 1000 small indignities every day for fear of something worse. I don’t know how he didn’t end up putting poison in that beef soup

[@CareenasAdventures]

Gee whiz these chefs had TALENT! How could anyone not appreciate everything Ceasar does? He's a chef, a storage expert, a leader, an expert in international cooking, and more! I'm so sad that the lady of the manor probably never appreciated his real person. Thank you so much for honoring and reliving the legacies of these amazing and talented people.

[@birdsephone]

I really like the emphasis on Elizabeth never getting her hands "physically" dirty. We know what you're saying, and the way you say it with so few words is masterful.

[@mandipowell7797]

💙 Cheyney & Dontavious 💙 learning knowledge with ALL THE FEELS

[@MalkaMoon]

Just the fact that he wasnt allowed to look at her just absolutely kills me.

[@sawyersweetart1042]

The Chef knew more about running the house than the freaking people that lived in it, but pay him? Oh no. That's madness. -_- This really drives home how complex his job was. Doing what he demonstrated and adapting to the whims of his owners on a dime, pairing foods, preserving them, keeping everyone fed? Keeping track of exactly how much food was available, how to use it, and then the horrible drain of dealing with all this food when people that were his friends, relatives, his community, had little to nothing, dependent on the will of the people he had to deal with everyday?! The Chef was a businessman, cook, accountant, PR expert, manager, teacher... There's a reason I share these videos, you do such a good job of showing that, and showing just how skilled enslaved persons were, and just how much their owners knew it and refused to treat them as equals anyway.

[@MyNameisMessenger]

Also, your whole life becomes about your job. Your whole life boils down to serving soup at the dinner table. Imagine, a whole life with hopes, dreams, needs and wants... but every single day, for the rest of his life, he must do this one job.

[@Kelleyfanto]

Thank you so much Cheyney and Dontavius for filming this at Stratford and especially for bringing Caesar's story to life!

[@dontaviuswilliams206]

He is one of my favorites.

[@antoniusbritannia8217]

9:47 One whole scotch bonnet for a small pot of soup. Caesar was really bringing the heat!

[@KateandBree]

He didn’t cut it open, so it’s more of an infusion. It will be taken out after it’s done cooking.

[@Burning_Dwarf]

Seeds are contained, so flavour and a little heat No mouth fires

[@susannwilliams4197]

I appreciate not only the knowledge and effort put into this but I also appreciate the way Caesar wasn’t trying to act happy about the job he was doing.

[@chloeya.m.9423]

“…but would remain enslaved for the entirety of their lives.” This broke me.

[@happyzombiikitti]

As someone who is mixed indigenous with a mother of African and indigenous decent.. (I look more indigenous than I do afro-carribean) I am thankful for black ancestors every day, whether I know them or not, their courage and strength is felt to this day. Black lives are sacred.

[@kck9742]

Great series, thank you! Hercules, the black enslaved 18th century Gordon Ramsay!

[@MAB605]

This must’ve hit me just at the right time because it made my cry. I think about my ancestors who did so much with so little and had to endure these little indignities every day. It just hit a nerve. Wonderful re-enactments.

[@lynnflynn5591]

I'm a history lover who stumbled across these incredible videos years after they were made. To all involved with creating them, thank you for teaching me so much. 🙏

[@noorabboud4949]

He was an amazing chef that never even got paid for his labor and amazing skills what a horrible inhuman slavery institution was. thank you for teaching us

[@mokanger97]

Another great video. I feel physically sick watching it, but that's how I know how important it is. If learning about history doesn't make you uncomfortable, you're not being taught the whole story

[@haleybillow9152]

I love this series and can't wait to use these in the classroom this year!

[@VisyVisyTV]

I cannot imagine well enough how an enslaved person must have felt. So glad for the era and the place in where I grew up and now live though it is not a perfect system I'M NOT A SLAVE.

[@juliac3933]

8:07 it’s interesting that they used the fireplace as a trash can! Beats taking out the garbage

[@TheCheesecakedeath]

Or like they said they would sell or give the scraps to people who needed them. My grandmother would keep a slop bucket for feeding hogs. But they never had any farm animals that I know of so she gave it to the dog. She grew up on a farm with cows and pigs so everything was either saved like fat and grease for cooking with or fed to the farm animals. I was amazed at how little actual trash they had but they didn't have trash collection so it was burned which could in turn heat the house

[@astra1653]

These are fantastic, Ms. Cheyney! I hope you continue this series. I think it's very important that we remember, looking squarely at the past as it truly was, not some romanticized version of it. Thank you for doing this important work! 💜

[@koreboii]

You continue to amaze me with the research and care that goes into each of these videos. I’m learning so much that my school neglected to me about enslaved people.

[@beatlemyn]

This is so important. I think this should be shown in classrooms. Thank you for this education!

[@BehdinAzadih-hh7rj]

Omg!!!!!! Thank you! I’ve seen all these videos of snow people cherishing their colonial history and recreating it but none about this struggle and history!! Thank you !!

[@Lunareon]

Thank you for continuing to document the lives of these people, whose individual and collective existence, for the most part, has been erased from history. This series has already taught me so much, and I look forward to the next episode. You are doing amazing work!

[@sarahmwalsh]

Another terrific episode. There is so much happening in the facial expressions and gestures and tones of voice. And it makes the stark realities of enslavement so real. Thank you for the work you are doing I'm sure it takes a toll.

[@Skye_Writer]

Thank you so much for this series. This is a side of history we are never shown.

[@katwitanruna]

Thank you SO much for this series. Showing this side of history is exceptionally important for everyone to learn and this is an excellent way to present it. I always immediately start sharing as soon as your videos hit.

[@deek7429]

Thank you so much for the opportunity to learn so much about the details of slavery in America! Although inhumane, we mustn't forget and turn a blind eye to the truth of our pasts. You do such a wonderful job of presenting it straightforwardly and clearly!!

[@BeverleyButterfly]

I appreciate everyone taking the time to be part of this series it is so interesting and helps bring their lives to life in a way that is hard through books xx

[@knottyneedle]

I 'discovered' your channel via the video with Bernadette Banner. I'm a 60 plus Southern White woman who sews and does Ren Faires and was really interested in learning about the other half of my Southern history. But I did have to smile (and grimace) as my maiden name was Randolph. Yes, I am descended from the Virginia Randolphs - so there is some family history I'm not too proud of. I can't wait to watch the rest of your videos. They are well done, interesting and education all that the same time.

[@fanattaj4889]

These reenactments are so powerful! It is one thing to read about this period in history but it becomes so real when you see people actually portraying what it was like. Thank you for the work you do. I want to make sure my nieces and nephew see your channel!

[@charliequartz2085]

The fact that this man was a renowned master of the craft who clearly cared so much about the artistry of food, and yet he's having to essentially answer to a child is so demeaning. You guys did a wonderful job with this episode. Historians are truly incredible.

[@cristinagarcia1652]

I am simultaneously inspired by the characters in this video, and horrified at the lives they were forced to live.

[@AdventuresAwait123]

The madness of "it must be" perfect without any care of how.

[@shawn-3561]

I wish I'd learnt this kind of stuff in school. We had one episode of Roots shown in year 8 and that was it for any kind of black history or lessons about slavery. The acting, pacing and even the tone of the narrators voice is so well done.

[@cooperpabis4642]

Thank you for another history lesson and giving perspective beyond what may be typical in the textbook.

[@elizabethwashington9168]

This saddens me...my poor ancestors...yet very smart, very resilient and resourceful!

[@virginia6166]

Wow, this really makes me think of what my ancestors went through. They really was careful about how they looked and act. Literally hide who they really are to please another person. Wow great job

[@UppityOne]

I learned so much about the enslaved chefs at the Presidents' plantation while watching "High on the Hog". This re-enactment made me understand the difficulty of their jobs even better. Their work was dangerous and extremely stressful under the watchful eyes of enslavers, but they were the absolute best at their craft.

[@OriginalAfrocentricDesignbyLis]

Thank you. I wish they had information like this when I was coming up. I hope this video is getting in to school systems.

[@chaosswa-ee-ty5911]

It's not. There was actually a policy passed to inhibit it's teachings.

[@OriginalAfrocentricDesignbyLis]

@@chaosswa-ee-ty5911 What?! What policy? LOCAL, STATE OR FEDERAL?

[@selwatchesyt]

@@OriginalAfrocentricDesignbyLis State. Florida being one of them.

[@jackukay]

I'm living for that look Cesar gave the enslaver after she left. It sums up so much in just one look!

[@wormteeth1734]

I know you already know just how important the work that you do is, but I want to say thank you anyway. I didn’t learn about the realities of being enslaved in school and it isn’t something that folks generally want to just discuss. It is really jarring to hear these ‘’respectable’ names of upper class white people and reconcile the popular image of genteel folks in fine clothes with the reality that, genteel or not, they held human beings as property. I can’t get over the indignity and inhumanity of it. I can’t believe anybody would ever try to defend enslavers. It is so heartbreaking to think of all the people who lived from birth til death as property instead of living freely as their own people. Idk why this was the video that really, really hammered it in for me, they’re always sobering and informative.

[@princessmaomao6860]

Its nice that we get to learn about these people now and the experiences of enslaved people, mostly black people. It can educate our society and show how we have come a long way but still need to improve to make sure everyone human being is being treated right

[@TaushaTW]

I feel so sad for my ancestors & for current slaves of any race. They are in my prayers.

[@geethavishnu9771]

Hats off to the ancestors who lived this hard and rough life..

[@wynnewhitten-holmes5090]

I was so excited to see this pop up and as usual the quality is superb.

[@Adennative]

My relatives are moving to VA, and I am going to visit them as soon as they settle. I will make sure I visit These Roots in person. Can’t wait to meet Mr. William! And get an autograph and picture with him.

[@caeliamer]

This is so important. I hope these videos are shown in classrooms. You are doing the very difficult work of bringing to light the reality of slavery and humanizing enslaved people whose stories are so rarely told. I look forward to seeing the continuation of this series.

[@lenanicole2837]

Have some tears welling up right now just realizing how much I’m learning from this; I really don’t know what better more effective way there would be to learn about this so thank you SO MUCH for putting these videos out there and for doing what you all do, this is crucial and I appreciate it so so much 👏🏽

[@ItStartsWithYou2Day]

I love your channel. You're a natural teacher. I've learned so much. Your channel keeps getting better and better. This could be shown in a classroom or on PBS. Well done!!! 🙌🏻

[@jocelynw6405]

The title of this video should be called, A Taste of History.

[@ghihbgyu]

Best comment of the day

[@debwiley3914]

Max Miller has a You Tube channel called A Taste of History, which typically covers worldwide cuisine at particular holidays, or historic events. I am really enjoying seeing this side of historical content.

[@ragnkja]

@@debwiley3914 It’s actually called Tasting History

[@queeringourhistory]

Absolutely heartbreaking that Caesar never knew freedom. I hope that he was able to find a sense of peace before he passed.

[@yezhoushen8114]

I wonder if Ceasar avoided looking at the mistress' face when they were talking intentionally. In Chinese palace dramas, I know that servants lowered their heads because it was rude to look at the masters' faces. Was there a similar rule back then?

[@dontaviuswilliams206]

You are correct.

[@MsAqua-bb5gi]

If you looked at them, you were being disobedient. They did not want them to look at them. If you did you would probably get severely beaten, or hung. You are stepping out of line and don’t know your place in their eyes.

[@yezhoushen8114]

@@MsAqua-bb5gi Do you think more valuable slaves such as Caesar would be punished in other ways than through physical violence? Wouldn't Caesar become less useful if he injured his hands or lost an eye? Were also heavily pregnant slaves beaten even when it could lead to the death of both the mother and the child?

[@athena608]

@@yezhoushen8114 Psychological punishment was part of it too. If he had family with him, they were also owned and could be sold or given away at any time, never to be seen again. Sometimes enslavers sold family members specifically to break spirits and make the remaining slaves more compliant. The threat of selling his children away from him at any time was probably a horrible but powerful deterrent.

[@yezhoushen8114]

@@athena608 I have not thought of that kind of that punishment but it must have worked well as an incentive to remain submissive.

[@moxiebombshell]

Cheney, I'm loving the production values in your new videos!!! You've always provided excellent content, but this is just *chef's kiss* I was just thinking about you after you came up in another KZbinr's video (Kaz Rowe, maybe?), and then this popped up as soon as I opened the app. Love to see you posting again and making sure our eyes are open to the realities of our history. 💜

[@shaylalauren]

This need to be shown in schools

[@adsmorriss]

Would Ceasar have had an co-expert running the kitchen gardens? Was the head gardener/kitchen gardener also an enslaved person? How did this work for putting down stores?

[@GeeklingNo1]

Assume they’re all slaves. I would assume there a head of the gardens and the animals

[@MintyVL]

If it was any sort of physical laboring it was done by enslaved people. I imagine the cook would have to figure out the amount of extra crop harvested after each season, the same way we see Chef in this video being in charge of food inventory. The surplus would be sold to a store and the store would then sell those goods.

[@douglasvilledarling2935]

In Jefferson's plantation they were different skills and different people

[@mlersk8830]

These videos should be added to the curriculum of every school in America

[@Anastasia-bx6co]

thank you so much for sharing! you and your team are doing such an important job!

[@luckysheep6453]

TY, TY, TY! Black history is the most important chapter of American history. It took our bloodiest war to finally end slavery (and even that didn't end segregation, racism, et al). If we allow history to repeat itself, it will. Even today, we have human trafficking and slavery creeping back in our own country. Some people are talking about bringing segregation back! Everyone needs to see this. Everyone needs to understand what could happen again if we sit idly by. If people remain ignorant of history, it WILL repeat itself! It may not look exactly the same, but it'll happen. All through recorded history, history just works like that. Heck, before every family goes to bed, I think they should play MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech. At least one night a week. American schools used to have a moment of prayer every morning. That was taken away. But I'd love to see them have a moment of "I Have a Dream" every Friday morning.

[@gerrymarmee3054]

These are well done. Reality of day to day life. Doesn’t show brutality, which really did exist, but day to day life.

[@ADDVibez]

I couldn’t have been a cook back then . Every owner and their family would be getting “sick” until they caught on to the fact that I’ve been owned by 6 families and all of them got “sick” and unfortunately passed away 😭.

[@MonkeymagicsMum]

Oooh! That look he gave her when she left the room! It must've been particularly galling for such a mature, knowledgeable man to defer to such a young, unworldly woman - well, girl really. Hats off to him for biting his tongue!

[@dontaviuswilliams206]

It was a matter of life and death.

[@anna-mariadavis5914]

Hats off to him? He had no choice or be beaten or worse killed

[@pensivefairy]

How could someone dictate every moment of another human being’s life without a second thought or twang of guilt? I can’t believe what these poor people put up with. Thank god this part of history is behind us. Thank you for sharing these videos and showing us a side of history that we seldom see 🙏🙏

[@cadileigh9948]

Great to see another episode and judging by some of the comments below you are filling a gap in people's education which rather shocks me. Thank you - Diolch yn Fawr

[@huntercoleherr]

Caesar's life is so much more intriguing to me than George Washington's ever was.

[@helenemelon]

this is so interesting, thank you so much for doing this. I never learned history from the perspective of enslaved people in school. You're doing a wonderful service

[@giselealmeidavellozakildai3335]

Once again a brilliant documentary. What humans do to other humans, and the spirit of survival.

[@AlliBee44]

This series is amazing! As a future ELA educator, I can’t wait until I can use these in my own classroom. So well done and informative. Keep you the good work!

[@brittyluvzruben]

This series should be shown & used as a teaching tool in schools all around the u.s .. Despite the fact it absolutely disgust me that this is even part of our history The depictions are outstanding & beautifully created . The stories are told in such a unique manner .. 👏🏽👏🏽Amazing & wonderful job to everyone that works so hard to make these videos put them together in an educational way for people all over the world to watch & learn from ..

[@TheHomesteadingHobbit]

Fantastic video. I am truly in awe of all this..I have always loved this time period, mainly because of the aesthetic. However, it's incredibly easy to just brush off or ignore the harsh reality of those who were enslaved. For that, I thank you for capturing what so many people tend to forget. This is the raw truth, as real as it can get. You guys are true historians,and I wish I could hug you all for the amazing work you are putting forth regarding the truths of how life really was like back then..❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@indigohalf]

After explaining the level of Caesar's expertise and the importance of his authority in the kitchen, seeing him speak in such a deferential tone to that young girl is striking and unsettling. Well done to the director, editor, and all the reenactors for portraying that dynamic.

[@abbyella2370]

Thank you so much for educating us all!

[@dianaortega9714]

Thank you both for this episode. Something I had to remind myself of that I don’t remember you explicitly saying but had to be true was that Caesar had to keep all this knowledge-inventory, cooking methods, recipes, purveyor details, etc.-in his head as he most likely couldn’t read or write and that it was probably illegal to teach him to do so. That’s not easy. He was clearly talented.

[@rakimalston3074]

Great series! Keep up the good work