names of families that owned slaves in texas

Early books sometimes contained the name of the former master or mistress and the name of the plantation. Although no major rebellions occurred, individual acts of violence against owners were carried out. Shortly before 1858 he moved from Mississippi to Texas with his wife, Mary, and five children. Marie Therese Metoyer was born into slavery but died a rich woman. Sugar plantations. Only one in every four families in antebellum Texas owned slaves, but these slaveholders, especially the planters who held twenty or more slaves, generally constituted the state's wealthiest class. [46], Unlike in other Southern states, only a small number of enslaved Texans, estimated at 47, joined the Union Army. The slavery categories exist to help with tracking the genealogy and family history of pre-Civil War era slaves. Texas, Special Voter Registration, 1867-1869. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They had no property rights themselves and no legal rights of marriage and family. [7], Importation of enslaved Africans was not widespread in Spanish Texas. Texas ranked 10th in total enslaved population and 9th in percentage enslaved (30 percent of all residents). WebOne in four families owned slaves. Most of the early slaveholders owned only a few enslaved people, but a few brought enough to build plantations immediately. [2] Estevanico, Dorantes, and Alonso Castillo Maldonado, the only survivors, spent several months living on a barrier island (now believed to be Galveston Island) before making their way in April 1529 to the mainland. Brewer, John Mason. Samuel Edney 1 There were two questionnaires: one for free inhabitants and one for slaves. [24], In 1845 the state legislature passed legislation further restricting the rights of free blacks. "The Texas Slave Insurrection of 1860," by William White. Since they politically dominated the state for decades after 1900, the only contest for office was at the primary level. In 1829, President Vicente Guerrero issued a decree abolishing slavery in all of Mexico, but within months he exempted Texas from that order. Mention is made of Henry being a judge.The following is from Rootsweb: Theirs was apparently a favored position, at least in this regard. WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. [8] A 1777 census of San Antonio showed a total of 2,060people, with 151 of African descent. "Mike" Campbell, Many owners encouraged worship, primarily on the grounds that it would teach proper subjection and good behavior. The collection is organized alphabetically by state, then city where the bank was located, then date the account was established, then account number. Voters' Registrations of 1867 are available on microfilm at the Texas State Archives. After that, he could legally transport the enslaved people and sell them in New Orleans or areas further up the Mississippi River. In short, from 1821 to 1836, the national government in Mexico City and the state government of Coahuila and Texas often threatened to restrict or destroy African American servitude, but always allowed settlers in Texas a loophole or an exemption. MP for Horsham in 1808 and Sandwich (18121824). %PDF-1.6 % Slave owners had broad powers of discipline subject only to constitutional provisions that slaves be treated "with humanity" and that punishment not extend to the taking of life and limb. That year, Mexico made the importation of enslaved people illegal. After statehood, in antebellum Texas, slavery grew even more rapidly. 5.5 Emancipation Records. As a free lady, she was an astute entrepreneur as well as a social climber. [31], By 1850, the enslaved population in Texas had increased to 58,161; in 1860 there were 182,566 enslaved, 30 percent of the total population. A group of enslaved people killed the sheriff of Gonzales when he attempted to stop their going to Matamoros. 25 percent. [35] Enslaved people often lived similarly to poor whites in Texas, especially those new to the territory and just getting started. The number likely would have been larger but for the attitude of the Mexican federal and state governments. One way or another they had to endure. If they died, the boss did not suffer a monetary loss. This was in the slave owners' self-interest, for marriage encouraged reproduction under socially acceptable conditions, and slave children were valuable. 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. Slaves, however, tended to hear the message of individual equality before God and salvation for all. [11] Under Austin's development scheme, each settler was allowed to purchase an additional 50 acres (20ha) of land for each enslaved person he brought to the territory. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) Included are land grant requests, wills, and testaments, letters of freedom and contracts of the sale of slaves. Moreover, once the revolution came, slavery was very much on the minds of those involved. 5.1 Biographies. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. [citation needed]. The news organization used documents from Ancestry.com to confirm the connection. On the other hand, western parts of Texas were still a frontier during the American Civil War. African-, Afro-Americans throughout the Americas / Black History - Master Project, Black Washingtons of Pope's Creek Plantation, Virginia, Somerset Place Plantation, North Carolina, 9 of the Biggest Slave Owners in American History, Standing in Way of Alabama Walmart: Slave Graves. In comparison, good Texas cotton land could be bought for as little as six dollars an acre. Sugar. [51], The long-term effects of slavery can be seen to this day in the state's demographics. Cotton. 1 Introduction. If I can figure out where an earlier County Coordinator found this I will properly reference it. John Butler of McIntosh, Georgia: 505 slaves. When Bradburn arrested Travis on suspicion of plotting an insurrection, settlers rebelled. Although not considered equals in the tribes, they were generally treated well. P.O. A slave had a right to trial by jury and a court-appointed attorney when charged with a crime greater than petty larceny. Slavery expanded rapidly during the period of the republic. 7 rolls, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, New England Historic Genealogical Society, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library at Colonial Williamsburg, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Libraries, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, Natchitoches Genealogical and Historical Association, https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=African_American_Resources_for_Texas&oldid=5253354. The governors feared the growth in the Anglo-American population in Texas, and for various reasons, by the early 19th century, they and their superiors in Mexico City disapproved of expanding slavery. Daina Ramey Berry is a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin, and says addressing ones lineage of slavery is difficult, but ORourkes response helped bring the issue out into the open. By 1865 there were an estimated 250,000enslaved people in Texas. Planters had hundreds of enslaved people arrested and questioned forcefully. The first census in Austin's colony in 1825 showed 443 slaves in a total population of 1,800. Texas 1867 Special Voter's Registration: includes information for 1867 - 1869. They fought bitterly against the disruption of their families by sale or migration and at times virtually forced masters to respect family ties. Dallas Genealogical Society Whites in the area defeated and severely punished them. Slavery was thus a constant source of tension in the lives of slaveholders. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. On June 19, 1865 word of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached enslaved African And when they declared independence and wrote a constitution for their new republic, they made every effort, in the words of a later Texas Supreme Court justice, to "remove all doubt and uneasiness among the citizens of Texas in regard to the tenure by which they held dominion over their slaves." They listened as best they could for any war news and passed it around among themselves, and no doubt many heard of Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation, announcing that all slaves behind Confederate lines on January 1, 1863, would be freed. At first, the practice involved primarily Apaches; eventually Comanche children were likewise "adopted" as servants. The material conditions of slave life in Texas could probably best be described as subsistence, in that most slaves had the food, shelter, and clothing necessary to live and work effectively. Dennis. 389-412)Page Count: 24, Texas Runaway Slave Project. On the other hand, there was little comfort and no luxury. [5], Both the civil and religious authorities in Spanish Texas officially encouraged freeing enslaved people, but the laws were often ignored. People of color who had been servants for life under Mexican law would become property. To Berry, having slave-owning ancestors shouldnt disqualify someone form holding office. Trying to get around the Gulf Coast, they built five barges, but in November 1528 these went aground off the coast of Texas. For example, it subjected them to punishments, such as working on road gangs if convicted of crimes, similar to those of enslaved rather than free men. Religion and music were also key elements of slave culture. After the Texas Revolution ended in 1836, the Constitution of the Republic of Texas made slavery legal. Of course, because Texas did not consider itself part of the United States, Lincolns proclamation could have no effect until federal troops gained control of the state. A project of the University of Virginia, this database includes a sampling of some of the 2,300+ interviews But Texas was once the site of an illegal racket led by pirates who brought slaves into the state and sold them throughout the United Many worked in other parts of the state as cowboys herding cattle or migrated for better opportunities in the Midwest, California, or southward to Mexico. The evidence is strong, however, that in Texas slaves were generally profitable as a business investment for individual slaveholders. The following information is included: The records are categorized by county. D. F. Kenner, Ascension, Louisiana: 473 slaves. By 1860, that number had increased to 182,566. Most worked as house servants or on farms on the edges of towns, but others served as cooks and waiters in hotels, as teamsters or boatmen, or as coachmen and skilled artisans, such as blacksmiths, carpenters, and barbers. See the Heritage Exchange Portal for more information on how to document slaves and slave owners. Politically, slaveholders dominated public office holding at all levels. Mrs. Mary C. Stirling/Sterling, Pointe Coupee (2), Louisiana: 338 slaves. This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 11:16. Stephen F. Austin made this clear in 1824: The principal product that will elevate us from poverty is cotton, he wrote, and we cannot do this without the help of slaves. (see BLACKS IN COLONIAL SPANISH TEXAS andANGLO-AMERICAN COLONIZATION). 3 Research Strategy. The number [22], By the 1800s, most enslaved people in Texas had been brought by slaveholders from the United States. The cotton industry flourished in East Texas, where enslaved labor became most widely used. Others hated their masters and their situation and rebelled by running away or using violence. Gleaning Information about Enslaved Ancestors from Probate Files NGS Magazine 48 #2 (April-June 2022): 2327. With reparations legislation on the table, Berry says conversations about slavery in history is fundamental. When searching, pay close attention to other individuals with the same surname. Many planters, however, lost part of their workforce temporarily to the Confederate Army, which impressed one-quarter of the enslaved on each plantation to construct defensive earthworks for the Texas coast and to drive military supply wagons. Col. Joshua John Ward of Georgetown, South Carolina: John Marshall (17551835), 4th During the late 1850s, prime male field hands aged eighteen to thirty cost on the average $1,200, and skilled slaves such as blacksmiths often were valued at more than $2,000. Slave clothing was made of cheap, coarse materials; shoes were stiff and rarely fitted. WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. PARENTAGE OF MARGARET FRENCH SLAUGHTER IN QUESTION. Residents of Texas, 1782-1836. One of the resolutions challenged Bradburn for "advising and procuring servants to quit the service of their masters, and offering them protection; causing them to labor for his benefits, and refusing to compensate them for the same. 42 (June, 1948): 510, 511-12. [11], In 1829, Mexico abolished slavery, but it granted an exception until 1830 to Texas. Slavery may have thus hindered economic modernization in Texas. The great majority of slaves in Texas came with their owners from the older slave states. Texans worried constantly that the Mexicans were going to free their slaves or at least cause servile insurrection. Economically, slave owners had a disproportionately large share of the state's wealth and produced virtually all of the cash crops. 5.2 Cemeteries. Many of the fires had coincided with a summer drought, and new matches were susceptible to spontaneous combustion. endstream endobj 510 0 obj <. They could be bought and sold, mortgaged, and hired out. The Neal family owned a plantation in Louisburg, Franklin County, N.C. Family members who went west all trafficked enslaved people with them and had the cash to buy good farm land. Slaves increased their minimal self-determination by taking what they could get from their owners and then pressing for additional latitude. Salas. The slaves themselves, however, also insisted on family ties. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. The effect of the institution on the state's general economic development is less clear. Slave owners and male [54] The drop in proportion of population reflected greatly-increased European immigration to the state in the 19th century, as well as population growth. I look at this and many of these opportunities as a place to teach and educate our country on our history because this is a part of our history that weve often sort of tucked under the rug or didnt give the details of that history, Berry says. It contains a very significant number of Texas' African-American population. The Comanche sold any captured enslaved people to the Cherokee and Creek in Indian Territory, as they were both slaveholding tribes. [9] Of these, only 15 were enslaved, 4males and 11females. AngloAmerican settlers were very alarmed, but within a year the State Congress of Coahuila and Texas, some of its Tejano leaders impressed by the pleas of Austin's colonists concerning the need for labor and others distracted by debates over different issues, passed a law that used the familiar practice of indentured servitude to permit the bringing in of slaves under a different name. After, ORourke shared his reaction on the blog site. Freedmans Savings and Trust Company signature cards or registers from 3 March 1865 to 25 July 1874 may list the name of the depositor, date of entry, age, birthplace, residence, complexion, name of employer or occupation, wife or husbands name, death information, childrens names, name of father and mother, brothers and sisters names, remarks, and signature. Slavery was present in Spanish America and Mexico prior to the arrival of American settlers, but it was not highly developed, and the Spanish did not rely on it for labor during their years in Spanish Texas. American slave owners or slaveholders were owners of slaves in the United States which typically worked either as agriculture laborers or house servants. Some slave hunters illegally traveled to Mexico and captured runaways. Dallas, Texas 75225-0446 Donald S. Strong, "The Rise of Negro Voting in Texas," American Political Science Review Vol. The payrolls for that slave Cannibalism, Interspecies War: A Novel About Neanderthals And Early Modern Humans, In a Central Texas county, high schoolers are jailed on felony charges for vaping what could be legal hemp, As Texas STAAR test goes fully online, teachers feel defeated, Texas Education Agency projects confidence. Some hid in the bayous for a time, while others lived among the Indians, and a few managed to board ships bound for northern or foreign ports. Slaves who did not work satisfactorily or otherwise displeased their owners were commonly punished by whipping. Many owners wished to appear as benevolent fathers, and yet most knew that there would be times when they would treat members of their families as property pure and simple. Once established as an economic institution, slavery became a key social institution as well. All copyrighted materials included within the Handbook of Texas Online are in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. . 4 Cotton plantations. As is apparent from the attached list of slave owners on this web site, many people in the county who owned slaves only had one or two. WebAfrican American Resources for Texas. The Bureau created a wide variety of records extremely valuable to genealogists. You can also look up Charleston Manifests by Slave Owner [table striped="true" 3 Vol. The Gregory School Historical collections at The Gregory School include: Access to Houston Public Library databases and indexes Books Pamphlets Periodicals Photographs Oral history recordings Manuscripts Newspapers and clippings Personal family archives and Ephemera documenting Houstons African American History and culture. While settled chiefly by Anglo-Southerners after the war; with the history of ranching, some of these parts have been more associated with the Southwest than the South. [37] Urban enslaved people often had greater freedoms and opportunity. This page has been accessed 1,367 times. African Americans immediately started raising legal challenges to disfranchisement, but early Supreme Court cases, such as Giles v. Harris (1903), upheld the states. There was an auction block next to the Menger Hotel and near the Alamo. WebTruly giant slaveholders such as Robert and D. G. Mills, who owned more than 300 slaves in 1860 (the largest holding in Texas), had plantations in this area, and the population Socially, slaveholders, at least the large planters, embodied an ideal to most Texans. [4] His account, along with those of the others, led to more extensive Spanish exploration of the new territory. Slavery was a complex institution that varied according to time and place. [32] Some enslaved people lived among the cattlemen along the southern Gulf Coast and helped herd sheep and cattle. Online collections of Freedman's Bank records: The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was created by the US government in 1865 until 1872 to assist former slaves in the southern United States. FS Library976.4F2bjm 1970 Austin: Encino Press, 1974. In 1860, mass hysteria ensued after a series of fires erupted throughout the state. These records often include full names, former masters and plantations, and current residences. O. J. Morgan, Carroll, Louisiana: 500+ slaves. A service of the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin | Contact us, this week that Democratic presidential candidate, and former Texas Congressman. Austin County, Texas, Slave Owners (0, 0, 1) B. Bandera Sam Houston made illegal importation from Mexico a crime in 1836. In other words, it was an underlying cause of the struggle in 18351836. The census of 1850 reported 58,161 slaves, 27.4 percent of the 212,592 people in Texas, and the census of 1860 enumerated 182,566 slaves, 30.2 percent of the total population. Slaves adjusted their behavior to the conditions of servitude in a variety of ways. Most Whites thought that Blacks were inferior and wanted to be sure that they remained in an inferior social position. Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke holds a rally at Scholz Garten in Austin. 2) THIS PATRIOT HAD TWO DAUGHTERS NAMED MARY, ONE BY EACH WIFE; Daniel French Slaughter (October 15, 1799 October 13, 1882) was Virginia planter and politician from two distinguished families of politicians and soldiers. 3" on the balcony of Ashton Villa: The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. Signup today for our free newsletter, Especially Texan. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. Most slaves, however, supplemented their basic diet with sweet potatoes, garden vegetables, wild game, and fish and were thus adequately fed. John Burneside of Ascension, Louisiana: 753 slaves; Saint James: 187 slaves. Sean M. Kelley, Los Brazos de Dios: A Plantation Society in the Texas Borderlands, 1821- 1865 (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2010). For a complete list, please see: American slave owners Project Profiles. Slaves freed in America before the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. Free persons of African descent were required to petition the. But his response to me opens up a door for families generations of descendants of slaveholders and descendants of slave people to have open dialogue of this institution.. WebTexas Slave Codes 1821. Slave houses were usually small log cabins with fireplaces for cooking. The slaves were owned by Julien Devereux and used to work an almost 11,000-acre plantation. Slaves ate primarily corn and pork, foods that contained enough calories to provide adequate energy but were limited in essential vitamins and minerals. The progress of the Civil War did not drastically affect slavery in Texas because no major slaveholding area was invaded. Africans and the descendants of Africans and Indians were excluded from the class of 'persons' having rights. WebThe British newspaper The Guardian reported this week that Democratic presidential candidate, and former Texas Congressman Beto ORourke, and his wife Amy, are This page was last modified 06:24, 6 May 2021. Both the Baptist and Methodist churches appointed missionaries to the enslaved people and allowed active participation by them. [11] Anglo-American immigration to the province slowed at this point, with settlers angry about the changing rules. Americans of European extraction and enslaved people contributed greatly to the population growth in the Republic and State of Texas. University of Texas (San Antonio). Slavery formally ended in Texas after June 19, 1865 (Juneteenth), when Gen. Gordon Granger arrived at Galveston with occupying federal forces and announced emancipation. The promise of ultimate deliverance helped many to resist the psychological assault of slavery. Welcome to Geni, home of the world's largest family tree. [14][15], In 1821 at the conclusion of the Mexican War of Independence, Texas was included in the new nation. 3 (Sep., 1898) (pp. WebThe Neals, Foxes, and Timberlakes were all white families of at least moderate wealth that was dependent upon the forced labor of enslaved people. Slaves were increasing faster than the population as a whole. Most runaways attempted to go to Mexico. [21] By 1850, an estimated 3,000enslaved people had successfully escaped to Mexico, and an additional 1,000 crossed into Mexico between 1851 and 1855. A relatively few slaves, perhaps as many as 2,000 between 1835 and 1865, came through the illegal African trade. WebThe enslavement of African Americans was the curse of early American life, and Texas was no exception. Black Texans: A History of African Americans in Texas, 1528-1995 (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1996, 2nd Edition). Most lived with a certain amount of fear of their supposedly happy servants, for the slightest threat of a slave rebellion could touch off a violent reaction.

What Happened To Joanna Garcia Parents, Northwich Guardian Obituaries, Daniel P Duffy Obituary, Lennar Five Point Valencia, Lafourche Parish Garbage Pickup Schedule, Articles N