Interesting Historical Fact - Slavery

[Metalject]

Some may have already known this, but I didn't.

When we think of slavery in the U.S. we immediately think of white men who owned black men, but apparently the first slave in the U.S. was owned by a black man.

America’s first slave owner was a black man.

Prior to 1655 there were no legal slaves in the colonies, only indentured servants. All masters were required to free their servants after their time was up. Seven years was the limit that an indentured servant could be held. Upon their release they were granted 50 acres of land. This included any Negro purchased from slave traders. Negros were also granted 50 acres upon their release.

Anthony Johnson was a Negro from modern-day Angola. He was brought to the US to work on a tobacco farm in 1619. In 1622 he was almost killed when Powhatan Indians attacked the farm. 52 out of 57 people on the farm perished in the attack. He married a female black servant while working on the farm.

When Anthony was released he was legally recognized as a “free Negro” and ran a successful farm. In 1651 he held 250 acres and five black indentured servants. In 1654, it was time for Anthony to release John Casor, a black indentured servant. Instead Anthony told Casor he was extending his time. Casor left and became employed by the free white man Robert Parker.

Anthony Johnson sued Robert Parker in the Northampton Court in 1654. In 1655, the court ruled that Anthony Johnson could hold John Casor indefinitely. The court gave judicial sanction for blacks to own slave of their own race. Thus Casor became the first permanent slave and Johnson the first slave owner.

Whites still could not legally hold a black servant as an indefinite slave until 1670. In that year, the colonial assembly passed legislation permitting free whites, blacks, and Indians the right to own blacks as slaves.

By 1699, the number of free blacks prompted fears of a “Negro insurrection.” Virginia Colonial ordered the repatriation of freed blacks back to Africa. Many blacks sold themselves to white masters so they would not have to go to Africa. This was the first effort to gently repatriate free blacks back to Africa. The modern nations of Sierra Leone and Liberia both originated as colonies of repatriated former black slaves.

However, black slave owners continued to thrive in the United States.

By 1830 there were 3,775 black families living in the South who owned black slaves. By 1860 there were about 3,000 slaves owned by black households in the city of New Orleans alone.


Anyway, I thought this was interesting.

[Hoggage_54]

[Java Man]

Slavery has always existed. Its motivation is purely economic.

[kelkel]

I did not know that.

[Metalject]

Slavery has always existed. Its motivation is purely economic.

It's definitely always existed, no doubt about that and I agree about the economic factor, but in some cases, it's not just economic. Man has a natural tendency to want to place himself, his group above others in order to control things. It's part of what makes man naturally evil. Man is naturally evil and has to make a conscious effort not to be.

Anyway, the topic of slavery in the U.S. comes up, when you start looking at the stats and facts there's a lot of stuff out there that contradicts what we learned in school as kids. The amount of free black men that owned slaves was pretty surprising to me. Of course more white men owned slaves but there were also more white men.

[lovbyts]

It's definitely always existed, no doubt about that and I agree about the economic factor, but in some cases, it's not just economic. Man has a natural tendency to want to place himself, his group above others in order to control things. It's part of what makes man naturally evil. Man is naturally evil and has to make a conscious effort not to be.

Anyway, the topic of slavery in the U.S. comes up, when you start looking at the stats and facts there's a lot of stuff out there that contradicts what we learned in school as kids. The amount of free black men that owned slaves was pretty surprising to me. Of course more white men owned slaves but there were also more white men.

Facts mean nothing in this day and age. It's all about media hype and affirmative action and the $$$ along with power certain people/groups get from it.

[Gaspaco]

Good job MJ!

Couldn't stop reading!

[Java Man]

It's definitely always existed, no doubt about that and I agree about the economic factor, but in some cases, it's not just economic. Man has a natural tendency to want to place himself, his group above others in order to control things. It's part of what makes man naturally evil. Man is naturally evil and has to make a conscious effort not to be.

Anyway, the topic of slavery in the U.S. comes up, when you start looking at the stats and facts there's a lot of stuff out there that contradicts what we learned in school as kids. The amount of free black men that owned slaves was pretty surprising to me. Of course more white men owned slaves but there were also more white men.

I was talking more in a general sense, not just in the very short history of the US. The Greeks and Romans had slaves. The Egyptians had slaves. The Mycenae's had slaves. All of the earliest recordings of civilizations have evidence of slavery. Skin color was not a factor. Conquered enemies, people who were thought of as "lower" than them, etc. They needed slaves to work so that they didn't have to and could go to the brothels and bath houses and screw everything that moved or slithered.

More on your original point dealing with US history specifically - it was very much motivated by economics. The African tribes were seen as savages, uncivilized, and unable to learn to live in civilized society. That they happened to be black was later seized upon and twisted into what it later became - racially motivated slurs by the general populous, who were even dumber collectively then than they are now. The southern states wanted to remain slave-owners because the slaves were needed to work the plantations prior to the industrial revolution. All races and skin colors owned slaves, and not all slaves were black. I didn't learn these things in school btw. I agree with you on that and several other points. I'm not disagreeing. More like expanding on it.

[Times Roman]

Learn something new every day.

[panntastic]

Very interesting read thank you

[JJ78]

What color do you think the men who sold us "white folks" these slaves from Africa were?

Why all the hate and blame on the "crackers" for needing some cheap labor to build a country?

Any race, or superior culture, would have, and did, the same thing in history. Its human nature, and still goes on today in many rich countries around the world.

So get over it, you dont deserve any simpathy, or retribution. African Americans have had decades of equality to strive in this country and most have chosen not to.

Now there are plenty of white people taking advantage of our flawed system, but god damn, there are some real ignorant, lazy ****in people in this country, of all races.

[JJ78]

I feel better now.

[--->>405<<---]

very interesting. has anyone seen Django??

Samuel L. Jackson on slavery and guns in 'Django Unchained' - Los Angeles Times

[Java Man]

very interesting. has anyone seen Django??

Samuel L. Jackson on slavery and guns in 'Django Unchained' - Los Angeles Times

I watched that a week or 2 ago. Twice! Loved it, but I always love Tarentino flicks.

[lovbyts]

What color do you think the men who sold us "white folks" these slaves from Africa were?

Why all the hate and blame on the "crackers" for needing some cheap labor to build a country?

Any race, or superior culture, would have, and did, the same thing in history. Its human nature, and still goes on today in many rich countries around the world.

So get over it, you dont deserve any simpathy, or retribution. African Americans have had decades of equality to strive in this country and most have chosen not to.

Now there are plenty of white people taking advantage of our flawed system, but god damn, there are some real ignorant, lazy ****in people in this country, of all races.

And they still do it, it's just not called slavery but people from Thailand, Philippines and other 3rd world countries go to places like Dubai and work as Nanny's, house cleaners, cooks or??? They have to sign a 2 or 3 year contract to go and work for the family until the contract is completed.

[Java Man]

And they still do it, it's just not called slavery but people from Thailand, Philippines and other 3rd world countries go to places like Dubai and work as Nanny's, house cleaners, cooks or??? They have to sign a 2 or 3 year contract to go and work for the family until the contract is completed.

hey! That sounds exactly like indentured servitude!

[Metalject]

hey! That sounds exactly like indentured servitude!

That's exactly what it sounds like and in my opinion there's nothing wrong with it when it's made on the basis of an agreement.

[lovbyts]

That's exactly what it sounds like and in my opinion there's nothing wrong with it when it's made on the basis of an agreement.

And the past slavery issues we are dealing with now were based on an agreement that at the time seemed perfectly normal or OK for that day and age but we have since evolved. Sometime in the future it may seem unthinkable for anyone to even consider working for someone via a contract or not in a servitude manner.

[Java Man]

Lovbyts, what is the usual penalty to the servant if they fail to fulfill the contact? I have no issue with am agreement entered into willfully by both parties. If the contract states they can be whipped and tortured for not performing (in the judgment of the contractor of course) then I think that's a problem.

[lovbyts]

Breach of contract usually means forfeit of payment. That may sound fine but who knows, in the future that my be looked upon as not being fair or inhumane?

Times change and so do what is perceived as good, bad and humane. We use to burn witches and anyone who was different. At some point we need to move forward and stop trying to fix the past.

[Java Man]

I hear you there. Stop bitching about what's done. Put the energy into shaping the present and future.