The hunt, like the church, courthouse, and family, played anintegral role in southern society and culture during the antebellum era. Regardlessof color or class, southern men hunted. Although hunters always recognized thetangible gains of their mission -- meat, hides, furs -- they also used the hunt tocommunicate ideas of gender, race, class, masculinity, and community. Hunting wasvery much a social activity, and for many white hunters it became a drama in whichthey could display their capacity for mastery over women, blacks, the natural world, and their own passions.

Nicolas Proctor argues inBathed in Blood that because slaves frequently accompanied white hunters into thefield, whites often believed that hunting was a particularly effective venue for thedemonstration of white supremacy. Slaves interpreted such interactions quitedifferently: they remained focused on the products of the hunt and considered thelabor performed at the behest of their owners as an opportunity to improve their owncondition. Whether acquired as a reward from a white hunter or as a result of theirown independent -- often illicit -- efforts, game provided them with an importantsupplementary food source, an item for trade, and a measure of autonomy. By sharingtheir valuable resources with other slaves, slave hunters also strengthened thebonds within their own community. In a society predicated upon the constantdegradation of African Americans, such simple acts of generosity became symbolic ofresistance and had a cohesive effect on slavefamilies.

Proctor forges a new understanding ofthe significance of hunting in the antebellum South through his analyses of a wealthof magazine articles and private papers, diaries, andcorrespondence.