Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
From healing the body to poisoning plantation owners — this is a story of plants and power.
Plantations are large pieces of land for agriculture work, and were first established in the early 16th century by Portuguese and Spanish settlers on the island of São Tomé, off the west coast of Africa. What started on this small island soon spread across the world, and European settlers established many plantations as they colonised the Americas and beyond.
To provide labour for plantations around the world, colonial powers forcibly brought enslaved people to work for them — often from Africa. This work had a serious, lasting impact on their health, often leading to injuries. Plus, the crowded and unhealthy living conditions made it easier for illnesses and infections to spread.
But buried in this history is another chapter. A tale about enslaved people’s fight for control over their lives, bodies and health — one in which plants became a source of healing and resistance against unhealthy and oppressive environments.
0:00 - Intro
0:20 - Plants and work
01:27 - Plants and escape
02:11 - Plants and freedom
03:00 - Plants and resistance
03:57 - Plants and healing
04:57 - Plants and capitalism
This video is inspired by Wellcome Collection's exhibition 'Hard Graft: Work, Health and Rights' which looks at the impact of physical work on health and the body. See these works in person at Wellcome Collection until 27 April 2025: wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/hard-graft-work-health-and-rights
#WellcomeCollection #HardGraft #health #work #rights #workersrights #botany #herbalmedicine #herbalmedicines #history #medicalhistory #JacobLawrence #harriettubman #CharmaineWatkiss #ForensicArchitecture
Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/user/wellcomecollection
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wellcomecollection
Find us on TikTok: tiktok.com/@wellcomecollection
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From healing the body to poisoning plantation owners — this is a story of plants and power.
Plantations are large pieces of land for agriculture work, and were first established in the early 16th century by Portuguese and Spanish settlers on the island of São Tomé, off the west coast of Africa. What started on this small island soon spread across the world, and European settlers established many plantations as they colonised the Americas and beyond.
To provide labour for plantations around the world, colonial powers forcibly brought enslaved people to work for them — often from Africa. This work had a serious, lasting impact on their health, often leading to injuries. Plus, the crowded and unhealthy living conditions made it easier for illnesses and infections to spread.
But buried in this history is another chapter. A tale about enslaved people’s fight for control over their lives, bodies and health — one in which plants became a source of healing and resistance against unhealthy and oppressive environments.
0:00 - Intro
0:20 - Plants and work
01:27 - Plants and escape
02:11 - Plants and freedom
03:00 - Plants and resistance
03:57 - Plants and healing
04:57 - Plants and capitalism
This video is inspired by Wellcome Collection's exhibition 'Hard Graft: Work, Health and Rights' which looks at the impact of physical work on health and the body. See these works in person at Wellcome Collection until 27 April 2025: wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/hard-graft-work-health-and-rights
#WellcomeCollection #HardGraft #health #work #rights #workersrights #botany #herbalmedicine #herbalmedicines #history #medicalhistory #JacobLawrence #harriettubman #CharmaineWatkiss #ForensicArchitecture
Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/user/wellcomecollection
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wellcomecollection
Find us on TikTok: tiktok.com/@wellcomecollection
Catch us on Facebook: facebook.com/wellcomecollection
