This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/kUB.2ACE/1991.1 Message Board Post: Ms. Rollins, I don't know of the particular man you are asking about, but there were quite a large number of free blacks all across the South that owned slaves. In fact, one of the richest men, and largest slave owners, in South Carolina, was a free black man named William Ellison. It is quite ironic that while William Ellison was flourishing in SC, the state constitutions of states like Illinois (1853) and Indiana (1835) would not permit him to move into those states because of the color of his skin. The stereotypical view of race and slavery in the South (and in the North) propounded by text books, Hollywood and the pseudo-History Channel is quite unrelated to society as it actually existed in the antebellum era. The victors write the history books, and often the truth is the first casualty. We are told that the "noble" yankees were fighting the so-called "Civil War" to free the poor blacks from their evil masters in the South. In this connection, it's interesting to note that when General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Court House in 1865, the one of those men who was a slave owner was NOT General Lee. Best Regards, John Field Pankow Asheville, NC
I have often wondered why the truth through history has always been so twisted. History also fails to mention the number of white people that were slaves as well. I guess it just made a better story. I don't believe in slavery and cannot be held accountable for anything my ancestors may have done well over 100 years ago. I think it is deplorable that people were and still are taken against their will and enslaved. ----- Original Message ----- From: <jfpankow@aol.com> To: <NCRANDOL-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, May 29, 2006 7:45 AM Subject: [NCRand] Re: free blacks in antebellum Ramseur > This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > > Classification: Query > > Message Board URL: > > http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/kUB.2ACE/1991.1 > > Message Board Post: > > Ms. Rollins, > > I don't know of the particular man you are asking about, but there were > quite a large number of free blacks all across the South that owned > slaves. In fact, one of the richest men, and largest slave owners, in > South Carolina, was a free black man named William Ellison. It is quite > ironic that while William Ellison was flourishing in SC, the state > constitutions of states like Illinois (1853) and Indiana (1835) would not > permit him to move into those states because of the color of his skin. > > The stereotypical view of race and slavery in the South (and in the North) > propounded by text books, Hollywood and the pseudo-History Channel is > quite unrelated to society as it actually existed in the antebellum era. > The victors write the history books, and often the truth is the first > casualty. > > We are told that the "noble" yankees were fighting the so-called "Civil > War" to free the poor blacks from their evil masters in the South. In this > connection, it's interesting to note that when General Lee surrendered to > General Grant at Appomattox Court House in 1865, the one of those men who > was a slave owner was NOT General Lee. > > Best Regards, > > John Field Pankow > Asheville, NC > > > ==== NCRANDOL Mailing List ==== > Have you visited the *NEW* RootsWeb/Ancestry Message Boards yet? Take a > tour soon & learn how time-saving those "Gateway" messages are compared > to trying to find the *new* ones on your own. > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx