Osnaburg originated in Germany before being exported to England and later, her colonies. Woven from flax and hemp, it naturally looked brown due to weavers not bleaching it during its fabrication.[1]<\/sup><\/a> Eventually,\u00a0Scotland began weaving this cloth to compete with other markets, and saw much\u00a0 exportation to the colonies.[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n Osnaburg, a rough-textured cloth, was also very durable. As such, it was used for food sacks, and other assorted bags to transfer objects. However, its primary use was in clothing, particularly for slaves on plantations.[3]<\/sup><\/a> As an\u00a0example in 1705, the Virginian government consolidated the different laws regarding slaves and indentured servants. Among them, one law stated that slaves had to be clothed, with no\u00a0 other clarifications or restrictions about the clothes, “That all masters and owners of servants, shall find and provide for their servants wholesome and competent diet, clothing, and lodging\u2026”[4]<\/sup><\/a> This\u00a0led many slave owners to provision their enslaved with clothing that was readily available, as well as both time and cost effective. In addition to its availability and affordability, osnaburg fabric for enslaved clothing was favored for its simple construction and hardiness.[5]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n The amounts of osnaburg fabric purchased depended on the wealth of the consumer, and that can give us an idea of its intended use. For example, let\u2019s examine the ledger account for James Edwards, a customer of Glassford and Henderson\u2019s store in Colchester, Virginia, from 1760-1761. Over eleven months, he purchased thirty-one yards of osnaburg, with the cost of each purchase averaging one shilling per yard; he also purchased fourteen yards of the best osnaburg available for a total of sixteen\u00a0shillings and four pence.[6]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n What\u00a0could these amounts of osnaburg been used for? We can create an idea,\u00a0by looking at the rest of his purchases. Metal and glass buttons, thread, nails, and pins point to clothing fabrication.[7]<\/sup><\/a> Five\u00a0and a half yards of the fabric would make two pairs of men\u2019s pants, while two and a half yards would make one woman\u2019s petticoat. Osnaburg could also have been used to make work shirts. (Other fabrics, such as cotton, shirting, and linsey would have been used to make shirts as well, along with dresses and slips.)[8]<\/sup><\/a> The\u00a0osnaburg could also have been used as a bag for nails (you wouldn\u2019t want a flimsy bag holding them).\u00a0We know that osnaburg was inexpensive and capable of withstanding harsh and prolonged working conditions.[9]<\/sup><\/a> From\u00a0the amount Edwards bought over the span of one year and the amount of tobacco Edwards paid for goods (two hogsheads<\/a> totaling over 2000 pounds of tobacco), it\u2019s possible that he was a slave-owner.[10]<\/sup><\/a> The\u00a0purchases he made and how much he bought reflect his wealth, which we can understand through the purchase of a simple fabric.<\/p>\n As we look back on osnaburg\u2014a pretty simple fabric that has survived into the modern age, although\u00a0made with more modern methods\u2014shows how much the past affects us today. The creation, use, and purchasing of this cloth have given us a small insight into the wealth, culture, and production methods of the 18th century.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1]<\/sup><\/a> Katherine Egner Gruber, “Slave Clothing and Adornment in Virginia,” Encyclopedia Virginia,<\/em> last modified February 4, 2016, accessed April 12, 2017, [2]<\/sup><\/a> Alastair Durie, “Imitation in Scottish Eighteenth-Century Textiles: The Drive to Establish the Manufacture of Osnaburg Linen,” Journal of Design History<\/em> 6, no. 2 (January 1993): 71.<\/p>\n [3]<\/sup><\/a> Gruber, “Slave Clothing.”<\/p>\n [4]<\/sup><\/a> William Waller Hening, ed., The Statutes at Large; Being a Collection of All the Laws of Virginia from the First Session of the Legislature, in the Year 1619<\/em> (Philadelphia: R. & W. & G. Bartow, 1823), 3:448, accessed April 10, 2018, http:\/\/vagenweb.org\/hening\/vol03-25.htm.<\/p>\n [5]<\/sup><\/a> Gruber, “Slave Clothing.”<\/p>\n [6]<\/sup><\/a> Alexander Henderson, et. al. Ledger 1760-1761, Colchester, Virginia<\/em> folio 19 Debit, from the John Glassford and Company Records,<\/em> Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., Microfilm Reel 58 (owned by the Mount Vernon Ladies\u2019 Association).<\/p>\n [7]<\/sup><\/a> Henderson, et. al. Ledger 1760-1761<\/em> folio 19 Debit.<\/p>\n [8]<\/sup><\/a> Michael Wayne, “Slavery,” in Death of an Overseer: Reopening a Murder Investigation from the Plantation South<\/em> (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), 81, eBook Collection EBSCOhost,<\/em> accessed April 12, 2018.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2018\/05\/Bernstein_019D-1024x545.jpg\")
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\nhttp:\/\/www.EncyclopediaVirginia.org\/Slave_Clothing_and_Adornment_in_Virginia.<\/p>\n