FAQ - Black Slave Ownership

Edited by M.D.C.Bowen
last updated April, 2001

 

FAQ 2 - Didn't Blacks Own Slaves Too?

The Provocative Question:

This subject was mentioned in AMERICAN HERITAGE, Feb./Mar. 1993 (vol. 441) under the title Selling Poor Steven beginning on page 90. Citing the official US Census of 1830, there were 3,775 free blacks who owned 12,740 black slaves. Furthermore, the story outlines the history of slavery here, and the first slave owner, the Father of American Slavery, was Mr. Anthony Johnson, of Northampton VA. His slave was John Casor, the first slave for life. Both were black Africans. This is part of Virginia's history that deserves attention.

The Short Answer:
A certain number, but a very small one.

According to the 1830 census, there were 312,603 free blacks in the union. There were just under 2 million slaves. That means 1.2% of the free blacks owned 0.64% of the slaves.

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