Adam Francis Plummer was born into slavery in 1819 on the Goodwood Plantation of George Calvert, a descendant of the founding governors of the Colony of Maryland, in Upper Marlboro, Prince George's County, Maryland. He was moved at the age of 10 to the Riversdale Plantation, also owned by George Calvert, in what is now Riverdale, Prince George's County, Maryland. Adam began writing in his diary in 1841 after his marriage to Emily Saunders Arnold and continued until his death in 1905. Adam's daughter, Nellie Arnold Plummer, continued to write in the diary after the death of her father, expanding on the family narrative begun by her father.

The Diary of Adam Francis Plummer is one of the many pieces of material culture in the collections of the Anacostia Community Museum. It is through the study, interpretation, and preservation of material culture that the Museum is able to share information about the past with people today. The digitization of the Plummer Diary and presentation to the public through the internet allows the Museum to present this incredible piece of history to the world while preserving the Diary for future generations.

This website presents the Diary of Adam Francis Plummer in a digital format with a transcription of the diary, images and descriptions of the other materials in the Plummer-Arnold Family Collection, essays, a glossary of terms, and educational resources for teachers. Throughout the website and in the essays, special words or concepts are noted in red italics. These words and concepts are found in the glossary section of the website.

A contemporary photograph of the Riversdale Plantation Dependency which contains an exhibition of Adam Francis Plummer. Riversdale House Musuem. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George's County.

To view the diary, essays, and educational materials, you will need to download Adbobe Reader. Click on the Get Adobe Reader graphic below and follow the instructions to download and install the application.