Black Slave Owners|A Hidden History
When we think of slavery in America, we usually picture white plantation owners exploiting black labor. But did you know that some of the slave owners were black themselves? Yes, you read that right. There were free blacks who owned slaves in the South, and their stories are often overlooked or ignored by mainstream history.
Who were these black slave owners and why did they own slaves? Well, there is no simple answer to that question. Some of them were benevolent, buying their relatives or friends out of bondage or helping them escape to freedom. Others were commercial, using slaves as a source of income or status. And some were somewhere in between, owning slaves for various reasons that defy easy categorization.
Let’s take a look at some examples of black slave owners and their motives.
Justus Angel and Mistress L. Horry: These two partners were among the largest slave owners in South Carolina in the 1830s. They owned 168 slaves, whom they put to work on their plantation and traded for profit. They did not care about the well-being of their slaves and punished any who tried to run away. They we’re slave magnets pure and simple.
Marie Therese Metoyer: She was born a slave in Louisiana but gained her freedom thanks to a twist of fate. She became the mistress of a wealthy Frenchman who gave her land and money. She used her wealth to buy more land and slaves, eventually owning over 300 of them. She was a devout Catholic and a philanthropist, donating to churches and schools. She also treated her slaves relatively well, allowing them some autonomy and education.
William Ellison: He was a mulatto who was born a slave in South Carolina but learned the trade of cotton gin making from his master. He bought his freedom and became a successful businessman, owning several plantations and more than 60 slaves. He was proud of his mixed-race heritage and did not identify with other blacks. He supported the Confederacy during the Civil War and even offered to raise a militia of his slaves to fight for it.
Anthony Johnson: He was one of the first black settlers in Virginia in the early 1600s. He arrived as an indentured servant but earned his freedom after working for several years. He became a prosperous farmer and owned several servants of his own, both white and black. He was involved in a landmark court case in 1655, when he sued a white neighbor who had taken one of his black servants. The court ruled in his favor, granting him the right to own the servant for life. This was one of the earliest legal cases that established slavery as a racial institution3.
These are just some of the many examples of black slave owners in America. Their stories challenge our conventional understanding of slavery and race relations in this country. They show us that slavery was not only a system of oppression but also a system of opportunity for some people of color. They also show us that race is not a fixed or natural category but a social and historical construct that can change over time.
So, next time you hear someone say that slavery was only about white people exploiting black people, remember that there is more to the story than that. Remember that there were black slave owners who played a role in this hidden history.
If you think you know everything about slavery in America, think again. There is a hidden history that most people don’t know about: the history of black slave owners. These were free blacks who owned and traded slaves for various reasons, from benevolence to profit. Their stories are fascinating, complex, and sometimes shocking.
