Language
Country/Area
No result found
The Great Swamp's Mysterious Past: Why Was It Once a Shelter for Fugitives?
Located between Virginia and North Carolina in the eastern United States, the Great Swamp is a vast swamp area that once covered more than one million acres and has historically served as a refuge for fugitives. How did this mysterious swamp become a hiding place for those fleeing slavery and colonial expansion?
The Everglades covers an area of approximately 750 square miles as of 2022, with a natural lake called Lake Drummond in the center, a rare freshwater lake that provides abundant water for the surrounding ecosystem.
The Everglades has a rich cultural and historical background. Humans have lived here since ancient times, and archaeological evidence shows that there was human activity in the area 13,000 years ago. According to historical records, the Chevy Pai Native American tribe was expelled when the Powhatan Empire expanded during the founding of Jamestown. In 1665, William Drummond, the first governor of North Carolina, became the first European to record the Great Swamp, and its name was thus given to the lake.
In 1728, William Byrd II led a land survey and gave a rather poor description of the swamp, which showed a lack of awareness of the importance of wetlands at the time and also influenced its subsequent history. Lay the groundwork.
Although the swamp was originally visited by the native peoples, many African Americans fleeing slavery in the early years of the United States, the "Maroons" of the Great Swamp, found the area a haven. Function. By escaping to the wetlands, these fugitives were able to escape from their oppressive society and gain a glimmer of hope for life. According to historical records, by 1860, the population of Malone here had reached several thousand. They built communities in the swamp and lived an independent life.
A Malone named Charlie, who worked in an illegal lumber camp in the swamp, recalled that there were many entire families of Malones living there, some of whom had never even seen a white person.
The land grew into a powerful community symbol. In 1784, J.D. Smith wrote in his American Journey: “The fugitive inhabitants have lived in these parts for ten, twenty, and even thirty years, subsisting on corn, hogs, and chickens. Housing and small farmlands were built around sites that were less frequently flooded.”
In the 19th century, the fate of the Great Swamp began to change. In 1793, Virginia and North Carolina began to build canals to irrigate the marshes, which not only facilitated the logging of timber but also developed the local economy to a certain extent. At the same time, the area has been gradually eroded by industrialization and urbanization, posing a huge threat to the ecosystem.
In the mid-20th century, with the rise of ecological awareness, several conservation groups began to call for the preservation of the Everglades, emphasizing its importance in migratory species and ecological diversity.
To date, the Everglades has been designated as a national wildlife refuge, which not only reflects the importance attached to the ecology of the swamp, but also shows people's renewed understanding of its historical and cultural connotations. It has become a habitat for many birds and other animals, and is also a hot spot for ecological surveys and tourism.
However, although this land has been protected to a certain extent today, people still need to continue to think: How can we find a balance between protecting natural resources, recording history, and promoting economic development?
