Slavery.....?

Question

1) What was the ideology of freed blacks owing slaves?
2) Historically, where slaves owned by blacks treated better than those whom were owned by whites?

I'm not well versed on this particular part of history. I appreciate your educated answer.

Ken L, I currently live in a very Amish and Mennonite part of PA. Maybe I shall ask them one day while at the market.

Answer 1

This is an aspect of the history of slavery that is not well known and is extremely interesting. To my knowledge, no thorough study has been done, but a few examples can be given: William Johnson, the "Barber of Natchez" was a freed black who gained wealth as a barber and purchased slaves. The same can be said of the Mazique family in Adams County Mississippi, a free black family that owned slaves and operated a plantation. Why did they do it? Wasn't this the ultimate in betraying their race? Not at all, because slavery wasn't considered, at that time, a racial thing, it was a class or financial issue. It was all about economics.
Did they treat their slaves any better than white owners? There is no evidence for that, and in fact, there is evidence that they abused their slaves every bit as much as whites.

By the way, a couple points of interest:
The National Park Service owns and maintains the home of William Johnson in Natchez MS, as a museum. They had a tough time dealing with the issue of blacks owning slaves, but it's an interesting exhibit.
It is now suggest that 2-5% of all slaves were owned by non-whites (blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans). So when an African-American today suggests slave-reparations, ask them if they were part of the slavery class, or the slave owning class ... they have no clue and it blows their arguements right out of the water.

Answer 2

Early on in the slave trade both whites and blacks were slaves. Many earned wages, had freedom of speach and many rights including the ability to buy their freedom. Things changed when 4 slaves escaped a cruel tobacco farm slave owner in North Carolina. Two of the slaves were white two were black.When captured the two blacks were put to death by a judge setting a president. So called good christians and catholics jumped on board claiming the godly diferences between white and black, white men from Gods creation, blacks from monkeys. A sad but true fact is that most blacks were bought from other blacks in Africa. It was traditional for warring tribes to take slaves. Some were treated as almost family but just as many were treated with cold cruelty. Colour does not define evil.

Answer 3

Slavery was a part of life both in Africa and in the United States so there was no stigma attached to owning a slave. Many freed blacks tried to accumulate wealth and one of the signs of accumulating wealth was to have slaves.

I think its safe to say that they treated slaves on a par with their white counterparts. Many of the horror stories you hear about mistreatment of slaves are just horror stories. Some individuals WERE collared and chained, whipped, or even deliberately crippled after trying to run away. Those were examples for the others and relatively few since undue mistreatment of slaves reduced their value.

Oh, a few freed men actually bought their wives and children. Yes, they were slaves, but freeing them was just a formality.

Answer 4

Umm the freed blacks was up north where slavery was outlawed...

There were a very select few blacks in the south and they did it because it was essentially the only way you could gain wealth in the south, there was almost no other way..Even then they would send those slaves up north for freedom from racist ideologies in the south.

Answer 5

i think free black own more slaves than any
other non- white slave owners. if you read the slave narratives about 70% of them had
better lifes when they were slaves. They talk about working side be side with their owners going to war with their owners. what really freaks out black people is that some black had other jobs and
got to keep thier wages and even said they ate with their owners not all slaves were mistreated

Answer 6

I LOVE THIS QUESTION!!!!
Sorry, no answer, just had to cheer.

You should find some Amish to ask them their perspective - no Amish ever owned a slave.