Black slave owner an untold part of history rutherford. As i write in my book, empire of cotton, american slavery and the cotton it. Free black slave masters in south carolina, 17901860 larry koger on. Examining south carolinas diverse population of africanamerican slaveowners, the book demonstrates that free african americans widely embraced slavery as a viable economic system and that theylike their white counterpartsexploited the labor of slaves on their. Familysearch livingstons law register, 1851 robeson county lawyers source. Most americans, both black and white, believe that slavery was a s. The oral history of many african americans reveals the former slave owning family. Pressly, using woodsons statistics, calculated that 54 or about 1 percent of these black slave owners in 1830 owned between 20 and 84 slaves.
Ten books on slavery you need to read politico magazine. The heart of the book looks at slavery in the american south, describing black slaveholding planters, rise of the cotton kingdom, daily life of ordinary slaves, highly destructive slave trade, sexual exploitation of slaves, emergence of an africanamerican culture, abolition, abolitionists, antislavery movements, and much more. The result of this research is published in his book, black slaveowners free black slave masters in south carolina, 17901860. The united states was founded upon a racial caste system where slavery was legal in all thirteen colonies. Free black slave masters in south carolina 17901860. Graduate students of history are often surprised to learn that some free blacks owned slaves. By profiling south carolinas diverse population of africanamerican slaveowners, he demonstrates that free african.
William ellison was one of the wealthiest men in the south as well as being a black, former slave. South carolina slavery buying and selling human beings. Thomas hunt morgan was born there in 1865, and he won the 1933 nobel prize in medicine. The miscellaneous records of some north carolina counties include some slave records. By 1860, so many black women in charleston had inherited or been given slaves and other property by white men, and used their property to start successful businesses, that they owned 70% of the black owned. Free black slave masters in south carolina, 17901860 kindle edition by koger, larry. In 1830, the state of south carolina, lists 464 free blacks owning 2,715 slaves. Augustine, florida, is a document recording the sale of a black slave to a free black. The slaveowner categories exist to help with tracking the genealogy and family history of precivil war era african americans. North carolina slave records slave cohabitation records north carolina african american records slave records in north carolina.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. From the late 1700s records show that there were free blacks living in south carolina schweninger, 1990, 20. The second problem quickly disappears after reading the introduction. Free black slave masters in south carolina, 17901860 kindle edition by larry koger. A careful study of one of south carolinas most important planters, the man. By 1790 fortyeight maryland black owners possessed 143 slaves. In the usa, how many black slave owners were there. But while we love fascinating figures from the history of science, the morgan familys housekeeper bouviette james is the star of this story nicknamed aunt betty, james cared for the morgan children in the mid19th century. Because most slave owners only had a handful of slaves, angel and horry were considered economic elite and were called slave magnates.
Black slave pounce on a white servant for fuck with. He is also known for keeping a detailed account of the. South carolina sc africanamericans history sc slavery this section of our guide to africanamerican history in south carolina examines the stages of slavery from capture through purchase. It is concerned with the fact that in the years before the civil war, there were in the states that made up the confederacy a small. Mar 17, 2012 the result of this research is published in his book, black slaveowners free black slave masters in south carolina, 17901860. The slaves under bryant helped raise hogs for their owner, who had a large family and was always looking to buy more property. They were located in colleton district now charleston county in south carolina in 1830. How to find slave records state library of north carolina. As a result, american slave rebellions failed to achieve their goals. Ravenel, at northampton and pooshee plantations, and reminiscences of mrs.
His diary is considered an important historical document chronicling the history of jamaica and slavery during the 18th century. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read black slaveowners. In charleston, south carolina in 1860 125 free negroes owned slaves. The apendix b has a list of all the blacks who owned slaves and how many slaves each had. He eventually became a major planter and one of the medium property owners, and the wealthiest black. The place is a bed and breakfast today, but when it was a private home, its third floor housed a slave couple and their young son george. Since i was pursuing a degree in history, i obviously had an. Top 30 books about slavery nonfiction about great books. Many of the black masters in the lower south were large planters who owned scores of slaves and planted large quantities of cotton, rice, and sugar cane. He eventually became a major planter and one of the medium property owners, and the wealthiest black property owner in the state. The society collects, preserves and maintains artifacts, books, films, papers. White slaveowners fear that the haitian revolution has arrived in charleston, south carolina, 1797. Top 30 books about slavery nonfiction nonfiction books about slavery provide factual firsthand accounts from a horrific, painful chapter of our nations history.
Most americans, both black and white, believe that slavery was a system exclusively maintained by whites to exploit blacks, but larry kogers authoritative study reveals the extent to which african americans played a significant role as slave masters in the peculiar institution. For example, the pendarvis farm owned 123 black slaves and william ellison jr. Horry were wealthy black masters who each owned 84 slaves, or 168 together. By 1860, there were thousands of free persons of color living in the state, and hundreds of them owned black slaves. The huntmorgan house, historically known as hopemont, is famous in its own right. In 1860 william ellison was south carolina s largest negro slaveowner. Sometimes further information can be gleaned about. Download it once and read it on your kindle device. The 1870 federal population census, the first on which former slaves are listed by name, can be confusing because individuals with shared surnames may be family members or former owners. Nat butler, a free black who lived near aberdeen in harford county, owned a small farm and regularly purchased and sold negroes. Most americans, both black and white, believe that slavery was a system exclusively maintained by whites to exploit blacks, but larry kogers authoritative study portrays the small yet significant role that african americans played as masters in the peculiar institution. Black slaveholding is a historical phenomenon which has not been fully explored by scholars. In louisiana, maryland, south carolina, and virginia, free blacks owned more than 10,000 slaves, according to the federal census of 1830.
Searching for our north carolina ancestors researching ancestors believed to have been enslaved can be challenging, since the record trail is spotty prior to 1865. The sexual use of black slaves by white men, either slave owners or those who could purchase the temporary services of a slave, took various forms. Slaves at the raft plantation of john clarkson, wateree river, richland, sc indexed by toni. Though we do not know the stories of all 3,775 black slave owners, we do know the lifes stories of several of them, including william ellison, a machinist, and blacksmith in south carolina. Lists names of about 18 slaves, the amount of cotton brought in on their account, and each slaves credit. Free black slave masters in south carolina, reported on the success of black women in charleston. Search the wills and other documents of slave owners in the areas where they lived for names. This essay is the introduction to larry kogers book, black slaveowners. A beginners guide to finding enslaved ancestors from the government and heritage library. The census of 1830 also lists 965 free black slave owners in louisiana, owning 4,206 slaves. Today, the notion of a black man owning black slaves seems contradictory bryant himself was a free black and perhaps even hypocritical. For example, the 1790 thru 1840 federal census recorded only the free black head of household and the number of slaves and free persons living in that household. There are overviews of census research, county records, private.
Black slave owners in charleston south carolina etv. Jun 10, 2010 raleigh, north carolina ap a haunting 150yearold photo found in a north carolina attic shows a young black child named john, barefoot and wearing ragged clothes, perched on a barrel next. In 1860 the largest slave owner in south carolina was william ellison, a black plantation owner. Free black slave masters in south carolina, 17901860. Slave owners in 1850 and 1860 also include people from the low country of south carolina who had summer estates in flat rock. Federal census records from the 1800s often list slave owners in an area. About 28 percent of the free black population in new orleans at the time owned slaves, with at least six owning 65 or more c. In order to identify records of interest, you must first examine the genealogy of slaveholding families. Most americans, both black and white, believe that slavery was a system maintained by whites to exploit blacks, but this authoritative study reveals the extent to which african americans played a significant role as slave masters. Unlike many slave owners, however, sherrod bryant was black.
Free black slave masters in south carolina, 17901860 ebook. By examining south carolinas diverse population of africanamerican. A commentary on carter woodsons free negro heads of families in the united states in 1830. White slaveowners fear that the haitian revolution has. African american resources for south carolina genealogy. According to the 1850 us census slave schedule, there were 290,410 slaves in north carolina in 1850. Analyzing the history of slavery in north carolina provides valuable clues that allow the scholar to understand the role of slavery and why many slaves chose to run away. The slave owner categories exist to help with tracking the genealogy and family history of precivil war era african americans. How did free blacks in south carolina, and particularly in charleston. Free black slave masters in south carolina, 17901860 ebook written by larry koger. In the american south, slaves were typically dispersed among large populations of armed and vigilant whites. According to the 1860 census in which his surname was listed as ellerson, he owned 63 black slaves, making him the largest of the 171 black slaveholders in south carolina, but far from the.
Jacob stroyer 1898 my life in the south general description of slave quarters and household customs. The search for enslaved ancestors requires research in the records of slaveholding families. Free black slave masters in south carolina 17901860 koger, larry on. Examining south carolina s diverse population of africanamerican slaveowners, the book demonstrates that free african americans widely embraced slavery as a viable. Examining south carolinas diverse population of africanamerican slaveowners, the book demonstrates that free african americans widely embraced slavery as a viable. Black slave owner and breeder in south carolina the interesting. Top 10 black slaveowners the weekly challenger newspaper. See instructions for creating slaveslave owner categories.
Again, to account for all blackowned slave in the south would require a volume of books. Freedman and slave owner some freed slaves in turn purchased slaves themselves in fact, by 1860, sources say there were 171 black slaveholders in south carolina william ellison, jr. When you find the last slave owner, determine his plantation and look for other records, including insurance policies, mortages, receipts, diaries and other. The slave owners from 1800 to 1820 were among the first settlers into henderson county. Free black slave owners and their slaves in charleston. A slaveowner, or his teenage sons, could go to the slave quarters area of the plantation and do what he wanted, usually in front of the rest of the slaves, or with minimal privacy. Usgenweb north carolina archives court and legal records. Rare photo of slave children found in north carolina attic. See instructions for creating slave slave owner categories.
Free black slave masters in south carolina, 17901860 by. Koger says there were ten black slave owners in charleston city, sc in 1830. Slave owners, often befuddled as to why their property ran away, placed advertisements in newspapers to find their escaped property. Among the earliest records in the deed books of st.
By examining south carolina s diverse population of africanamerican. Smith, for example, have transcribed records for a number of counties in the series north carolina slaves and free persons of color, published by heritage books. The digital library on american slavery includes 34,946 voyages from emory universitys the transatlantic slave trade database, including 86,689 slave names and 34,551 captain names. Black slave owners in the united states ironbark resources. In 1860, slave owners, white or black, owned around one to five slaves on average. Examining south carolinas diverse population of africanamerican slaveowners, the book demonstrates that free african americans widely. Most early north carolina county records are housed in the state. Voyages features information on more than 35,000 slave voyages that forcibly embarked over 12 million africans for transport to the americas between the sixteenth. You cant talk about race until you fully understand americas past. Pressly also shows that the percentage of free black slave owners as the total number of free black heads of families was quite high in several states, namely 43 percent in south carolina, 40. Blacks owning black slaves was even common in the prewar north. Pressly, using woodsons statistics, calculated that 54 or about 1 percent of these black slave owners in 1830 owned. The spirit of a young slave boy resides at 126 wentworth street in charleston, south carolina.
Specifically it looks at where and how africans were taken into bondage, the middle passage, which brought slaves from africa to america, and the auctioning off of individuals and families, once the slaves. Slave owners 18001820, 18501860 henderson heritage. Given the name april by his slave owner at the time of his birth around the year 1790, william ellison, was born into slavery on a plantation. This book is only about south carolina, but blacks from other states also owned slaves. Johns, berkeley, south carolina, februarymay, 1865, journals kept by miss susan r. He describes slave weddings scroll to page 60, chirstmas gifts 61, funerals 81, logrolling 89, cornshucking 93, and the economic opportunities for black people in south carolina after the civil war 7. A free family of color in the old south, authors michael p. In north carolina 69 free negroes were slave owners 6. South carolina special collections library, duke university. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading black slaveowners. Slaves, slave owners, and slavery in general information.
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