If your family is from the South

[DawnM]

Did your family own people during slavery?

Mine did.    Well, my mom's side is from SC and they had slaves.   Not many, as they weren't very wealthy, but they had some.

Dad's family was not from the South and never owned people and were very outspokenly against it.

I wish I could find more information about those times in my family's history.   Someone did write some things down but I haven't seen it.   And I have heard some of his writings are inaccurate, but I would still like to see if there are any names or anything in there.

I really hope their slave's dependents are doing well and thriving now.   

Just my Saturday morning musings.

[ScoutTN]

Yankees here. My maternal great great grandfather was a child of German immigrants, a Union Army officer and lost an arm at Gettysburg. He and his wife were abolitionists. They lived near Columbus. Ohio.
 

Dad’s people were very poor farmers in northern Indiana. Idk much about them. 

Edited April 20 by ScoutTN

[Heartstrings]

I honestly have no idea.  I can only trace back to great great grandparents that were just poor farmers around 1900.  I have 0 idea about family past that.  

[Pawz4me]

I have no idea. 

[TexasProud]

On my dad's side, No.  They were Swedish immigrants in the late 1800's.  Now my mom's side, directly, no.  They were very poor in Louisiana. However, in some of the more distant relations, yes, I think one person owned four slaves.  I don't know very much information other than it is in some of my genealogy info my grandmother did on that.  But she has it all the way back to the revolutionary war and only one of those in the very distant related offshoots did so. 

[Katy]

My mom’s side were mostly newer immigrants in the Midwest. 

For the lines I can trace on my dad’s side, most did not. The three that fought in the civil war did not. A couple had 1-3. My paternal line vanishes before my GG grandfather, but my dad recorded the town gossip about him in the 1970’s. He was reportedly the result of an illegal relationship between an ex slave (mixed race, but the photos looked exactly like my dad) and my GGG grandmother. Who was reportedly disowned and changed her last name to my maiden name. There was a lot of drama, and likely a genetic defect because they all died young and started a long line of people dying in their 30’s from heart attacks until modern medicine extended that to their 50’s with my grandfather. 

At any rate, that side of the family has a lot of “Indian Princesses” in the family tree. Mostly Creek, Seminole, or Cherokee. As the tribes in the Southeast fully accepted runaway slaves into the tribes for 300 years, I have only the one known mixed ancestor, but twice as much African DNA as Native American on 23&me. 

Interestingly, DH and I have one black ancestor thought to be from the late 1500’s in NC in common. Which is so far back it’s shocking it could be identified. I think DH’s family didn’t live in slave states but also managed to avoid the civil war as far as I can tell. 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

Half of my ancestors weren’t in the country during the civil war and the other half literally either came over on the Mayflower or shortly thereafter. 
I don’t have records going back to when slavery was legal in the north, but since there’s an extended history of poor farmers in my ancestry, I am guessing they didn’t have slaves.  I trace some of my ancestors back to Cotton Mather and William Bradford, though, so maybe at some point there was enough money to be slaveholders.

The other half of my family came over from Ireland during the Potato famine and then-Czechslovakia as political tensions were growing pre-WW2.  They were lower than poor when they were getting established in the U.S.

The city my ancestors lived in or around during the Civil War was a hub of abolitionist activity, but I suspect they were so busy trying to eke out a farm living to be very involved.

Edited April 20 by Mrs Tiggywinkle Again

[fairfarmhand]

Mine did not. We were always poor white trash on both my mothers and father's sides.

My dh's family did on his Father's side. Owned a massive farm in North Georgia. We own old papers from the late 1800s. Ironically, my dh's Great Great Great (not sure how many greats) was a state representative who was one of a couple that voted against secession. Even though he owned slaves. I think he saw the handwriting on the wall. We have some papers that listed some of his slaves. It's sad. I have such sad feelings when I look at the pages. 

After the War, he received a presidential pardon from Andrew Johnson. We have it. We have lots of pictures and historical documents and information about that side of the family. The original house is still standing and is on the national register of historic places. It's definitely not a Scarlett O'Hara type place. It was a log house with odd framed add ons. It was probably fancy for it's time, but it's not impressive like many of the antebellum homes of New Orleans or Charleston. 

The family ended up poor though. After a generation or two, the family fortunes vanished due to drinking and gambling. 

Edited April 20 by fairfarmhand

[kathyl]

I have no idea. 

Edited April 23 by kathyl

[Faith-manor]

Though some ancestors lived at various times in southern states or areas under the Missouri Compromise, they were primarily yanks. We have them traced back on both sides into the 1600's, and have found no trace of slave holdings and even some abolitionist activism. Those that fought in the Civil War, all but one, fought for the Union. The one who fought for the Confederacy had married a somewhat upper "middle class" girl, and they were gifted (puke) a slave at their wedding. He promptly freed his wife's maid, and then paid her a wage to stay with them. My guess is he fought for the confederacy (they lived in Missouri) out of loyalty to her family from Alabama. He was one of 11 kids, and his father and siblings were so ashamed of him, that he was cut out of the family for forever. He survived the war, and when his father died, there was a long letter attached to the will about how evil, unchristian, un-american, well just "un everything" he thought his son was. That particular great grandpa had some serious money to leave among his kids too, so it probably smarted old Calvin to be not only cut off from his mother and siblings, but also the inheritance.

Interestingly, we only knew about him from our eldest son's research. He was still alive at the time my great grandfather was a child, and from what we can gather, he knew of his uncle and his own father was so ashamed of his that he forbade any mention of him. As a child, I attended many family reunions with my grandparents where everyone was talking about family history and genealogy, and this guy never came up. Apparently the fury of patriarch Thaddeus extended well beyond the grave.

Everyone else, both sides, were English, Scotch, and French Canadian all having moved to Ontario, New York, and Vermont without any record of slave holding. Many were Quakers and Anglicans so there may, by that time, have been religious beliefs against slavery. Only one line got here before the 1830's-1840's. That line arrived in the late 1600's. Most of these ancestors moved around a lot and through slave holding areas as they decided where to ultimately settle and farm, Virginia coming up a lot in the genealogy. But we have many records, letters, even some journals plus newspaper articles, and in none of them was slave holding mentioned. Pretty much all of them ended up going back to Michigan, Ontario, and northeastern NY to settle down permanently. My guess is they hated humidity. Like me! 😂

I am shirt-tail related to Ethan Allen (very, very distant) and he had black servants though their standing legally was unclear. His daughter was a slave owner which makes me think Ethan probably was too. He is not close to my direct lineage.

[Shelydon]

No. My family was too poor. 

[City Mouse]

Probably. My paternal line came to Virginia in the late 1600’s and is all over the southeast United States. It is a fairly common month last name for both Caucasian and African Americans in the Deep South which leads me to believe that at least parts of the family line owned slaves, but I have no direct knowledge of slaveownership.

[MEmama]

My paternal family is from the Deep South; there are old roots all over Alabama. For any in farming it's unlikely they would have had the means but I don't know for sure. I do know that many of the men were highly educated and involved in engineering in railroad design as far back as it went. DS has engineering tools that date from that era.

I do have a written history of a Civil War era family member in Tennessee who recorded (decades later, all her own words told to a grandson who recorded it) how brutish and evil the Confederate soldiers were, how they raped and pillaged their own (that is, other Southerners), indiscriminately destroying crops and burning farmhouses as they moved through. She was forced to house some and spoke of her terror. They were, by their own standards, her own countrymen. She was most certainly against slavery and the war.

[73349]

My grandmother was from Texas, but her parents were from northern states and moved there. My ancestors AFAIK were mostly UK-origin New Englanders, Mayflower and otherwise, and one Native American (Blackfoot). One from each side served in the same Vermont regiment in the Civil War. It's unlikely though not impossible that somebody along the line kept someone enslaved.

However, many of them would have benefited from slavery indirectly, such as by being able to buy cheap sugar, and cotton for their clothing and linens. Folks along the coast benefited from the shipbuilding boom whether they participated or not.

[Amira]

For the past year I’ve been researching one part of dh’s family who, although not wealthy, enslaved well over one hundred people over multiple generations starting in North Carolina and then branching into Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas.  Most enslaved 5-10 people (generally a few adults and several children who often were a family) and then parceled out the people they enslaved, one my one, to their children.  By far my best resource has been wills and probate records because this was all small-scale enslavement, not large plantations.  No one in dh’s family has ever looked into this and I’ve been shocked at how extensive the practice was, especially when they really weren’t wealthy.  

I think that a lot of people think of large plantations when they think of slavery, but small-scale slavery could be more devastating to black families, and there were lots of not-wealthy white people who were enslavers, especially if you go back a few generations.  It made it very clear to me how willing white people were to destroy black family relationships or to allow that destruction to happen around them.  

I’ve been able to find the names of many of the people enslaved by dh’s ancestors, and in a few cases, some invaluable documents that help to give a little more context to their lives.  

[athena1277]

I don’t know much, but I was told years ago that they were poor farmers so they never owned slaves.  I think they lived in MS.  

[Bootsie]

I know very little about my paternal granmother's ancestory.  From what little I do know it is likely that she had ancestors who owned slaves in Alabama.  

I wonder why you asked if the question to people whose families are from the South.  I know people who have never had a family member live in the South who are certain that their ancestors were slave owners.  And, I have a friend who is Canadian who is certain that her family fortune stems from slave trade and slave labor.  

[Indigo Blue]

We know little about our ancestry, but we are not natives of the South. 

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, Amira said:

I think that a lot of people think of large plantations when they think of slavery, but small-scale slavery could be more devastating to black families, and there were lots of not-wealthy white people who were enslavers, especially if you go back a few generations.  It made it very clear to me how willing white people were to destroy black family relationships or to allow that destruction to happen around them.  

I’ve been able to find the names of many of the people enslaved by dh’s ancestors, and in a few cases, some invaluable documents that help to give a little more context to their lives.  

You are so right.

It should also be noted that while Americans tend to think of slavery as a fairly exclusive practice perpetrated against the peoples of West Africa, the colonies also heavily enslaved captured Native Americans as well as the peoples of Haiti and other Caribbean islands. It appears that in New England by the mid-1700's, up to a third of the population of Native Americans were slaves or "servants" sentenced to very long periods of servitude to white families. So probably an awful lot of ancestors of "not the south" may have owned slaves.

[gardenmom5]

I've done a lot of genealogy, and haven't found anything regarding my own ancestors owning slaves.  Most southerners didn't own slaves, and of those who did they owned a few to help with the farms.

My mother's side were all from MO (slave state) during the civil war - in the 1840s they previously came from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.  (my grandfather's grandfather came from Illinois). They were almost all poor farmers.  My grandmother rarely said anything, but a few times wanted people to know her uncle fought for the union. (I found interesting as she was a racist.)

My dad's side were northerners that were opposed to slavery.  (and very recent German immigrants 1862? who took off for California during that time.)

 

There was one slave in the entire *VERY SMALL* town my mother's family came from.   She was a teenager when the war was over.  She'd been given to the wife as a mother's helper when she was a child.  The husband told her she was free to leave, and he later found her sobbing in the barn.  She had no where to go, she had no clue where her family was (I've done a 'tiny bit' of looking at the advertisements former slaves would have in papers trying to find family members.). I can't imagine how terrified she must have been.  He told her she could stay if she wanted to.  She ended up working as a nurse in the town, and had nursed a lot of the townsfolk over the decades.  Never married.  most of the (lily white) town showed up at her funeral.

[gardenmom5]

3 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

You are so right.

It should also be noted that while Americans tend to think of slavery as a fairly exclusive practice perpetrated against the peoples of West Africa, the colonies also heavily enslaved captured Native Americans as well as the peoples of Haiti and other Caribbean islands. It appears that in New England by the mid-1700's, up to a third of the population of Native Americans were slaves or "servants" sentenced to very long periods of servitude to white families. So probably an awful lot of ancestors of "not the south" may have owned slaves.

there were also Irish that were sold into slavery to pay debts and shipped to North America.
And there were free blacks that owned slaves.
 

[Faith-manor]

1 minute ago, gardenmom5 said:

there were also Irish that were sold into slavery to pay debts and shipped to North America.
And there were free blacks that owned slaves.
 

It is really disturbing the pervasive idea that humans should own one another.

[KungFuPanda]

It seems that, the whole world over, people always have and always will purchase the labor of other people for the lowest amount legally allowed and extend them the least courtesy that society permits.

[gardenmom5]

Just now, Faith-manor said:

It is really disturbing the pervasive idea that humans should own one another.

slavery goes back thousands of years and across multiple cultures both ancient and modern.  Slavery was only finally abolished worldwide in 1981.  

It's how conquerors would control the conquered, and kings/emperors/pharaohs/etc. could afford their lavish lifestyles and ego boosting building projects to show how grand they were.  (not excusing it, stating a fact.)

It's very sad.   

 

[Faith-manor]

2 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

slavery goes back thousands of years and across multiple cultures both ancient and modern.  Slavery was only finally abolished worldwide in 1981.  

It's how conquerors would control the conquered, and kings/emperors/pharaohs/etc. could afford their lavish lifestyles and ego boosting building projects to show how grand they were.  (not excusing it, stating a fact.)

It's very sad.   

 

Yes. I am aware of the history of it. Still very heartbroken about it despite it being "normal". I don't know why humans have to be so awful to each other.

[gardenmom5]

4 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Yes. I am aware of the history of it. Still very heartbroken about it despite it being "normal". I don't know why humans have to be so awful to each other.

ego. pride.  wanting to be "the Jones's".  wanting to be the top.  (and just because someone is broke, doesn't mean they don't' wish they could be on top.)

it's really a waste.

Edited April 20 by gardenmom5

[DawnM]

1 hour ago, Bootsie said:

I know very little about my paternal granmother's ancestory.  From what little I do know it is likely that she had ancestors who owned slaves in Alabama.  

I wonder why you asked if the question to people whose families are from the South.  I know people who have never had a family member live in the South who are certain that their ancestors were slave owners.  And, I have a friend who is Canadian who is certain that her family fortune stems from slave trade and slave labor.  

I wonder why you are asking that question?

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-u-s-states-had-the-most-slaves-at-the-start-of-the-civil-war.html#:~:text=Distribution of Slaves&text=Virginia with 490%2C867 slaves took,in other states as well.

[Jaybee]

Sadly, yes. I'm afraid I don't remember the details very well. I should clarify before my mother is gone, but her memory isn't very good anymore, so I don't know if I could count on the accuracy of her answers. I had assumed that none of them (either side of my family) were slave-owners due to being rural farm families in the South--not wealthy people, by any means. But I was wrong. One family, at least, did have several slaves, but I can't remember how many--3-4, maybe? She remembered the story that when the man went to war, he told his slave that if the slave took good care of his horses, when he returned, he would give the slave one of his horses, which he did. That is all I remember being told. It saddens me that this is part of my family history. Was giving him a horse supposed to make up for the man's being a slave?

It also saddens me that we still have so much racism, which periodically raises its ugly head even more than usual, reminding us that it never really goes away. One summer as a college student, I lived with a family from NJ. The mom told me that her (white) daughter was in a jazz dance troupe that was all black except for her. The mom said she did not understand the South, and why anyone would have a problem with their child dating someone who was black, because she would have no problem with her daughter dating one of her co-dancers. Playing devil's advocate a little bit, I said, "But what if he were Puerto Rican?" She paused at that, and said, "I see what you are getting at." I have lived in many places, in both the United States and overseas. In every place I have lived, there has been a kind of hierarchy of race; one group is the more privileged, one group is the more looked down upon. (And if it isn't race itself, it is ethnicity, or social status, or educational status, etc.) Like @gardenmom5 says, there is a tendency in people to want to be in power over others, to be the "honored" ones, to be "better", and to put down others so they can feel more important. It isn't just a problem of the South. It is a worldwide problem. As if something that we can't control makes us better or worse than someone else, rather than being a reflection of God's creativity in making all races in His image. And it is a "me" problem. If I start to be proud because I am "not racist," then I look in the mirror and see that I still have pride that tells me I am better because of another reason.🙁

[Carrie12345]

Northerner here, back to the 1600s, and my ancestors did own people.

[Bootsie]

1 hour ago, DawnM said:

I wonder why you are asking that question?

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-u-s-states-had-the-most-slaves-at-the-start-of-the-civil-war.html#:~:text=Distribution of Slaves&text=Virginia with 490%2C867 slaves took,in other states as well.

I asked the questions because I know more people who did not have family in the South who definitely know that their ancestors held slaves (and some who know that their families profitted greatly from the slave trade or slave labor) than people I know of in the south.  

While at the beginning of the Civil War, states in the south had more slaves than states in the north, that is a very small snapshot of the horrid situation.  Slavery was (and is) a problem irregardless of one's geographical location.   And, the impact of slavery often goes far beyond the location of where I slave is actually being held.  

[scholastica]

1 hour ago, DawnM said:

I wonder why you are asking that question?

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-u-s-states-had-the-most-slaves-at-the-start-of-the-civil-war.html#:~:text=Distribution of Slaves&text=Virginia with 490%2C867 slaves took,in other states as well.

The second largest slave market in the colonies was in Manhattan. At one point, 20% of the population there were enslaved people. It closed in 1762.

[maize]

Wikipedia has a decent summary of slavery around the globe and throughout history. Humans exploiting other humans has definitely been the rule rather than the exception. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_slavery

I'm glad we've done away with legal slavery, but we've got lots of room for improvement in the realm of harmful exploitation of members of our own species. 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

3 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

there were also Irish that were sold into slavery to pay debts and shipped to North America.
And there were free blacks that owned slaves.
 

There is some evidence that one of my ancestors was one of these Irish slaves, but the records are scant. Perhaps indentured servant is more likely but I am not sure.

[Amira]

Without reducing in any way the abuse and discrimination faced by Irish and other especially marginalized white immigrants, I don’t think it’s reasonable to compare what they experienced with what enslaved black people experienced. There are similarities on the labor side, but there is no comparison when you look at family relationships.

White people of any ethnicity in the US never faced wholesale denial of their family relationships. There are certainly individual example of white people losing custody of their children unjustly or being forcibly separated from family members, but it was never codified like it was for black people who were enslaved.  

[Alice]

My father's family did. I'm not sure about my mother's. I wouldn't be surprised if they did, it was a tobacco farm in southern Virginia. They were fairly poor but there are buildings on the property that were called slaves' quarters. It was never clear to me if that was when our family owned the land or if it was earlier, my grandfather eventually bought a lot of the land himself from other farmers. 

My father's cousin wrote a book about trying to come to terms with the descendants of the slaves his ancestors owned. The cousin is a journalist. https://www.amazon.com/Uncle-George-Me-Southern-Families/dp/1947860100. 

[maize]

@Amira what documents other than wills are likely to show slave holdings? Did censuses show which families held slaves? 

I have at least one family line from the south, but I dont know much about their history there. My family is also among the significant percentage of whites with sub-saharan African DNA in the mix, we think we've traced that as far back as Kentucky (based on which DNA relatives share that portion we can narrow down which lines it could have come from) but there the trail goes cold. 

[Scarlett]

My mom just told me she has documents showing her maternal great  grandmother inherited slaves.  They lived in Missouri . 

[Amira]

48 minutes ago, maize said:

@Amira what documents other than wills are likely to show slave holdings? Did censuses show which families held slaves? 

I have at least one family line from the south, but I dont know much about their history there. My family is also among the significant percentage of whites with sub-saharan African DNA in the mix, we think we've traced that as far back as Kentucky (based on which DNA relatives share that portion we can narrow down which lines it could have come from) but there the trail goes cold. 

Census records will show how many people were enslaved in a household, and their ages and genders.  The 1850 and 1860 censuses will give hints about race (generally either M for “mulatto” or B for “black”). Later censuses are more specific than earlier ones, but all at least count enslaved people.  But no census ever (or almost ever) recorded the names of enslaved people. Tax records can also be helpful, but for me, census records are more useful (although I did get one name from tax records). Probate records, particularly when the enslaver died intestate, are the best thing to find.

I start with census records to understand an enslaver’s track record, then I find his will and/or probate records (or hers, but even if they’re hers, her husband’s records mostly usually be more useful).  If they were an enslaver, it’s very likely they have some kind of estate documents, and those will often have at least some hints about what happened to the people he enslaved, and if you’re really lucky, they will include names, ages, and family relationships. Then go on to the next generation of enslavers.  After that you can try to fill in gaps with runaway notices, slave petitions, slave deeds, and newspaper searches.  Once you know the names and places you’re looking for, you might find bits and pieces in other sources. 

One thing to keep in mind is that spellings are much more fluid even than they are in white people genealogical research, and that enslavers’ records are not always reliable, but they’re better than nothing.  But mostly, you will only find information about white people so be prepared to fail over and over again.

 

[Eos]

10 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

You are so right.

It should also be noted that while Americans tend to think of slavery as a fairly exclusive practice perpetrated against the peoples of West Africa, the colonies also heavily enslaved captured Native Americans as well as the peoples of Haiti and other Caribbean islands. It appears that in New England by the mid-1700's, up to a third of the population of Native Americans were slaves or "servants" sentenced to very long periods of servitude to white families. So probably an awful lot of ancestors of "not the south" may have owned slaves.

The first enslaved Africans in New England were acquired from the West Indies, exchanged for enslaved Indigenous Pequot people from Massachusetts in 1637.

I've been researching the connections between New England and the slavery-based economies of the Caribbean which were pervasive, extensive, and wildly profitable. New Englanders can be somewhat righteous about our abolitionist heritage but Rhode Island was the state with the highest number of slave-trading ships and Boston's wealth was founded on the trade. New Englanders owned, financed, outfitted, and crewed the ships transporting captives from Africa to ports across the West Indies, South America, and the southern US and also traded salt cod and other foodstuffs to the West Indies to feed enslaved people there. Baked beans cooked with molasses and served with brown bread is considered the quintessential New England dish but all that molasses was made by enslaved laborers in the Caribbean. Even though slavery was abolished early in New England many families still profited from it here including ship builders, fishermen, sea captains and sailors, farmers, lumberjacks, carpenters, blacksmiths, coopers, mill workers, and grocery store owners. 

 

Edited April 21 by Eos

[Terabith]

At dinner the other day, a friend’s 8 year old casually asked, “So what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

This post feels kinda like that moment. A major moment of horror, revulsion, and shame disguised as genealogy interest. It shocked me to see something so horrific asked so casually. I’m not trying to scold or criticize you.  It just really took me aback and I didn’t know how to respond. 
 

My family is from the South. I’m not into genealogy but I know some people in my family are and records have been kept.  I don’t know if they owned anyone. I doubt it, because both my mother and father’s sides were very poor. But I don’t know for sure. 

[Eos]

3 hours ago, Terabith said:

It shocked me to see something so horrific asked so casually.

I hear this, but I'll offer an alternate take: when people can talk more casually, seriously, and openly about the immense crime that was enslavement, healing and repair seem closer to possible. I appreciate the honesty of the original post and the responses. 

[Carrie12345]

5 hours ago, Terabith said:

My family is from the South. I’m not into genealogy but I know some people in my family are and records have been kept.  I don’t know if they owned anyone. I doubt it, because both my mother and father’s sides were very poor. But I don’t know for sure. 

 

58 minutes ago, Eos said:

I hear this, but I'll offer an alternate take: when people can talk more casually, seriously, and openly about the immense crime that was enslavement, healing and repair seem closer to possible. I appreciate the honesty of the original post and the responses. 

Agreeing with Eos.  
Especially for clarifying misconceptions like the southern focus or later generations’ (or branches’) economic status.  
My paternal line is the one with the clearest records, including towns and roads with my maiden name. We’re definitely northerners and there definitely hasn’t been major wealth in our branch for many generations. But the records (primarily wills) are there. 
There’s also a census record of a black family with the surname in the area our family inhabited for hundreds of years.

For *ME*, that discovery added… not sure how to put this into words that properly convey my meaning… a more concrete perspective from which to grow from non-racist to anti-racism. If that makes any sense. It was already there, but like I had an almost tangibly increased motivation/duty to do right in the world. 

[Amira]

Another aspect is that it’s extremely difficult to trace your family further back than 1870 if your ancestors were enslaved, and documents like probate records are usually indexed to help white people learn about their ancestry, not to help black people trying to trace their ancestry.  But if white people would take some time to document the people their ancestors enslaved with as much information as they can find, and then post that information online (like at https://10millionnames.org or one of the major genealogical sites so it’s actually findable), that would help to bridge the gap.  

We need to rethink how we’re using historical records to make it possible for everyone who is interested to trace their ancestry, because up till now, it’s been all about white people’s ancestry.

[Eos]

On 4/21/2024 at 2:29 AM, Eos said:

when people can talk more casually, seriously, and openly

quoting myself to say - instead of "casually" which denotes low-key engagement, I would rather use "easily."

 

On 4/21/2024 at 5:55 AM, Amira said:

if white people would take some time to document the people their ancestors enslaved with as much information as they can find, and then post that information online (like at https://10millionnames.org or one of the major genealogical sites so it’s actually findable), that would help to bridge the gap.

This is a great resource for repair, thank you for posting.

Edited April 23 by Eos

[MeaganS]

Yup. My mom's side definitely did. We have many records showing it as well as family lore. 

I did one of those ancestry DNA tests and it shows that I have 1% from Senegal from that same side of my family (and other family on that side show the same thing). We have tons of genealogy done and none show any from Africa, so someone is lying along the way. It also makes it especially emotional for me, knowing it is likely I have both enslavers and slaves as my ancestors.

[Garga]

On 4/20/2024 at 8:30 AM, ScoutTN said:

Yankees here. My maternal great great grandfather was a child of German immigrants, a Union Army officer and lost an arm at Gettysburg. He and his wife were abolitionists. They lived near Columbus. Ohio.
 

Dad’s people were very poor farmers in northern Indiana. Idk much about them. 

I live near Gettysburg and just got home from driving through there not 10 minutes ago. So weird to think of your great great grandfather’s arm out in one of the fields up there. Next time I drive though, I’ll be thinking of his arm.

[katilac]

14 hours ago, Terabith said:

At dinner the other day, a friend’s 8 year old casually asked, “So what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

This post feels kinda like that moment. A major moment of horror, revulsion, and shame disguised as genealogy interest. It shocked me to see something so horrific asked so casually. I’m not trying to scold or criticize you.  It just really took me aback and I didn’t know how to respond. 
 

My family is from the South. I’m not into genealogy but I know some people in my family are and records have been kept.  I don’t know if they owned anyone. I doubt it, because both my mother and father’s sides were very poor. But I don’t know for sure. 

An 8-yr-old asking what's the worst thing you've ever done was a major moment of horror, revulsion, and shame?

What have you been up to?

Finding out that some ancestor of mine owned slaves 150+ years ago wouldn't be a major moment of horror, revulsion, and shame for me. I'm horrified and repulsed by the idea and reality of slavery in general, but I already know that slavery exists in the world, and specifically in my country and in my state. The horror and revulsion wouldn't increase for me by knowing this, I don't think. I'm not a sins of the father type person, so I'm not going to feel deeply ashamed that someone I never knew, and my parents never knew, and my grandparents never knew, owned slaves. 

Likewise, I wouldn't be immensely honored and proud if I found out that some ancestor of mine saved someone's life 150+ years ago. I didn't do it.  

Caveat: I can better understand families who have always been very connected to their family's past having feelings about ancestors and their actions. If you grow up knowing these things, and hearing actual stories about people and events, that is such a different situation. But I know nothing past my grandparents, and it's not like I know tons of details about their lives.  

But I don't think those people should feel any kind of deep shame for their ancestors, either. Thinking they should is like thinking someone should carry deep shame because their parent is a criminal, or simply not a good person. Carrying family shame is very damaging and limiting. 

Saying that her question is "disguised" as genealogical interest very much sounds like criticism to me, and rather insulting to @DawnM.

Edited April 21 by katilac

[Terabith]

Okay.  I am sorry.  I will leave.  

[katilac]

On 4/20/2024 at 1:13 PM, DawnM said:

I wonder why you are asking that question?

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-u-s-states-had-the-most-slaves-at-the-start-of-the-civil-war.html#:~:text=Distribution of Slaves&text=Virginia with 490%2C867 slaves took,in other states as well.

The north/south divide at the time of the Civil War doesn't really correlate to what people consider the south today, so you miss some states by asking the question that way.

Most Marylanders consider it a northern state. The south definitely considers it a northern state, lol. 

Most Missourians consider it a midwestern state. The south considers it as midwestern or vaguely northern. 

[katilac]

2 minutes ago, Terabith said:

Okay.  I am sorry.  I will leave.  

You don't have to leave because someone disagrees with you.