Excerpt from History of Slavery in Virginia It is recognized that Objective views of the local character of slavery in every division of the present United States where it has existed are prerequisite to its true history in this country. My wish has been to contribute to this end by a careful investigation of the institution as it existed in one of these, Virginia, with a candid statement of results. The priority of this colony and the long coexistence there of forms of dependence give unusual interest and value to its institutional experience, and make it the natural starting point of the general inquiry. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Free Negro in Virginia: 1619-1865 The history of the free negro' in the slave States forms one of the most interesting chapters in the history of slavery in this country. A number of valuable monographs dealing with the history of the negro or with the institution of slavery in; the various States have been published during recent years, but no one of them, so far as the author is aware, has been devoted exclusively to the status or history of the antebellum free negro in a particular Commonwealth of-the Uni-ou. Such studies are needed, and it is hoped that the present monograph will, as far as Virginia is concerned, supply this need. Moreover, as a study of the free negro in the State in which the African first made his appearance in America, it should' supply some of the facts upon which the history of the negro race in the United States must be based. Upon the constitutional side it is hoped that the study will be an aid to a correct conception of the purposes sought to be realized by the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Letter to the Hon. Wm; C. Rives, of Virginia: On Slavery and the Union My Dear Sir, - I have read with great satisfaction your letter published in the Richmond Whig, on "The Present Crisis and the Value of the Union." Agreeing with you that it is the duty of every good citizen, so far as may lay in his power, to allay the existing excitement, and to endeavor to bring us back to that state of fraternal feeling under which the North and the South mutually shed their blood to bring this nation into existence, and which for so many years harmonized in its unparalleled prosperity, I address this letter to you, and through you, to the public. I have, for many years, been retired from an active participation in public affairs, but have not been unobservant of the course of events; and, drawing to the close of a long life, can have no motive but to leave to my children the blessings of a free and stable government, which I have myself so long enjoyed. The present is a period of alarm and excitement greater than we have heretofore witnessed. The North and the South appear in all but hostile array against each other, and all growing out of the subject of Slavery. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Local Institutions of Virginia Supreme, slaves were Objects of pity; and labor, being almost entirely in their hands, was despised. In some cases great cruelty was inflicted upon these unfortunate beings, whose greatest ill was their lack of personal liberty. This was especially the case, if they were left to the entire control of overseers, or became restless, for Virginians were in constant dread Of concerted attacks by their Helots. But it was to the owner's interest, to say the least, for his property to be well preserved and productive, and consequently for his slaves to be free from maltreatment or injury. One other character remains to be mentioned - the Indian, who disappeared leav ing a trail Of fire and blood, but making no impression upon the character Of the colonists save in regard to their language which he enriched with soft-sounding words. The most pa thetic spectacle in history, next to the sudden turning of the electric glare Of the nineteenth century upon the benighted negro slave, is that of the Indian sullenly yielding step by by step to the Onward crush of a stronger civilization. Turning from the study Of the various races that lived in the colony, let us consider the life and occupations of the dominant people. As is the custom now, so in colonial times Englishmen and other visitors to this country felt called upon on their return home to write a book about America. From the account of one of those chroniclers the following picture Of a planter's life is drawn. Though written after the colony had become a State, it may be safely viewed as representing to the traveller's mind ante - Revolutionary manners: The gen tleman Of fortune rises about nine O'clock; he perhaps may make an excursion to walk as far as his stables to see his horses, which is seldom more than fifty yards from his house, he re turns to breakfast between nine and ten, which is generally tea or coffee, bread and butter, and very thin slices of venison, ham or hung beef. He then lies down on a pallet on the floor, in the coolest room in the house, in his shirt and trousers only, with a negro at his head and another at his feet to fan him and keep off the flies, between twelve and one he takes a draught of bombo or toddy, a liquor composed Of115. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Negro and the Nation: A History of American Slavery and Enfranchisement An English traveler, riding along the banks of the Potomac in mid-July, 1798, saw ahead of him on the road an old-fashioned chaise, its driver urging forward his slow horse with the whip, until a sharp cut made the beast swerve, and the chaise toppled over the bank, throwing out the driver and the young lady who was with him. The traveler - it was John Bernard, an actor and a man of culture and accomplishments, spurred forward to the rescue. As he did so he saw another horseman put his horse from a trot to a gallop, and together they reached the scene of action, extricated the woman and revived her from her swoon with water from a brook; then righted the horse and chaise, helped to restore the half-ton of baggage to its place; learned the story of the couple - a New Englander returning home with his Southern bride - and saw them safely started again. Then the two rescuers, after their half-hour of perspiring toil in a broiling sun, addressed themselves courteously to each other; the Virginian dusted the coat of the Englishman, and as Mr. Bernard returned the favor he noticed him well, - "a tall, erect, well-made man, evidently advanced in years, but who appeared to have retained all the vigor and elasticity resulting from a life of temperance and exercise. His dress was a blue coat, buttoned to the chin, and buckskin breeches." About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.