In the 1850 and 1860 United States Federal Censuses, for the first time, households in Slave-owning States reported on how many Slaves they owned. Because my Southern ancestry is drenched in Slavery, I have found several ancestors who showed up in the Slave Schedules. This is important both for African American Genealogists seeking to discover the possible identity of the owner of their ancestor, as well as for white descendants of Slave owners (like me) seeking to document their brutal legacy. The following ancestors of mine are included in the Slave Schedules:
1850:
- Aaron B. Strickland of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 8 Slaves. These were a 45 year old black female, 42 year old black female, 38 year old black female, 25 year old black male, 13 year old black male, 6 year old black female, 21 year old black female, and a 15 year old black male.
- Ezekiel Stafford of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 21 Slaves. These were a 60 year old black female, 40 year old black male, 38 year old black female, 36 year old black female, 34 year old black female, 25 year old black male, 22 year old black female, 19 year old black male, 16 year old black male, 15 year old black male, 12 year old black male, 11 year old black male, 9 year old black male, 5 year old black male, another 5 year old black male, 2 year old black male, 8 year old black female, 6 year old black male, 3 year old black female, 1 year old black male, and a 14 year old mulatto male.
- John Pittman of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 1 Slave, a 15 year old black male.
- Marmaduke Hart of Twiggs County, Georgia: Owned 2 Slaves. These were a 22 year old black female and a 19 year old black male.
- Michael McKenzie Eason of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 8 Slaves. These were a 44 year old black female, 25 year old black male, 17 year old mulatto female, 13 year old black male, 11 year old black male, 9 year old mulatto female, 9 year old black female, and a 6 year old mulatto female. The 11 year old black male was reported as being deaf or blind.
- William Fuller Sr. of Laurens County, South Carolina: Owned 18 Slaves. These were a 41 year old black male, 42 year old black male, 37 year old black male, 30 year old black male, 28 year old black male, 10 year old black male, 8 year old black male, 8 year old mulatto male, 6 year old black male, 7 year old black male, 32 year old black female, 28 year old black female, 14 year old black female, 12 year old black female, 7 year old black female, 4 year old black female, 2 year old black female, and a 75 year old black female.
The total number of human beings enslaved by my family in 1850 was 58. Fifty-eight human beings held in bondage to my family, to my ancestors
1860:
- Aaron B. Strickland of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 19 Slaves. These were a 32 year old black male, 25 year old black male, 22 year old black male, 16 year old black male, 6 year old black male, another 6 year old black male, 4 year old black male, 3 year old black male, 1 year old black male, 47 year old black female, 35 year old black male, 28 year old black female, 25 year old mulatto female, 22 year old black female, 18 year old black female, 7 year old black female, 2 year old black female, another 2 year old black female, and yet another 2 year old black female. Unfortunately, the amount of slave houses was not recorded.
- George Washington Winn of Laurens County, South Carolina: Owned 3 Slaves. These were a 30 year old black female, 3 year old black male, and a 2 year old black female. There was one slave house.
- James F. Benton of Colleton County, South Carolina: Owned 5 Slaves. These were a 25 year old black male, 12 year old black female, 18 year old mulatto male, 17 year old mulatto female, and a 2 year old mulatto male. There were 2 slave houses.
- John James of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 5 Slaves. These were a 25 year old black male, 16 year old black female, 12 year old mulatto male, 5 year old black female, and an 8 month old black male (listed as 8/12). There was one slave house.
- John Pittman of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 1 Slave, a 20 year old black female.
- Michael McKenzie Eason of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 10 Slaves. These were a 37 year old black male, 29 year old mulatto female, 18 year old black female, another 18 year old black female, 16 year old mulatto female, 5 year old mulatto male, 3 year old black female, 2 year old black female, 1 year old mulatto male, and another 1 year old mulatto male. There were three slave houses.
- Mourning Collum of Twiggs County, Georgia: Owned 2 Slaves. These were a 31 year old black female and a 2 year old black female.
The total number of human beings enslaved by my family in 1860 was 45. Forty-five human beings held in bondage to my family, to my ancestors
So much is unknown about the lives of these individuals, whose stories are lost to history. These were human beings with desires, interests, romances, stories, and memories, all regarded as property by the individuals I descend from. So many questions exist: how were conditions under my ancestors? Were there overseers? What happened to them after Emancipation? So many questions, and so few answers.
We can only truly build the future by remembering the past
