Small bottle, large lesson

This small blue bottle tells quite a story about how African Americans in Annapolis fought racism in the market place.

The bottle was uncovered at the Maynard-Burgess House. This house was constructed in 1848 by John Maynard, a free black man living in Annapolis. Maynard and his descendents lived in the house until 1921 when it was purchased by Willis Burgess, a former boarder in the residence. This house was occupied until the 1980's.

When archaeology digs were conducted at the Maynard-Burgess House, several bottles from national brands were uncovered including this small Bromo Seltzer bottle. Many African American households purchased nationally produced goods in the market as a means of fighting price variances. When purchasing locally produced goods at the local market, African American customers would often encounter fluxuating prices based on their skin color as opposed to white customers who would frequently receive lower prices on goods as well as better quality items. Goods produced nationally were subject to fixed prices which were frequently marked on the packaging, prohibiting merchants from increasing the price for individual customers.

In addition to finding high numbers of bottles from national brands at the Maynard-Burgess House, archaeologists uncovered a large proportion of animal bones, providing a glimpse into the diet of the occupants of the house. These bones came from domesticated animals including cows, sheep, and pigs which were commercially butchered as well as a considerable number of fish bones. The presence of large numbers of fish bones has led archaeologists to believe that the residents of the Maynard-Burgess House were most likely fishing privately to supplement their diet and circumvent the marketplace.

These actions provide food for thought when considering the marketplace today. It brings to mind an old episode of The Cosby Show where three of the show's characters went into a neighborhood supermarket that had poor quality goods and high prices as compared to the goods and prices at another branch of the same supermarket chain in a more affluent neighborhood. As a means of protest, these characters partnered with area residents to picket the store as well as organize a penny protest where people paid for their groceries in coins and small denominations, slowing the store's checkers and causing other customers to leave the store. The protests were able to affect change on the show.

While this was a tv episode, it certainly reflects real life issues today. Have you noticed fluxuating availability and quality of produce and meat depending on where you shop? What issues have you encountered when shopping related to variations in price and quality? What have you done when confronted with this situation?