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Black Masters: A Side-Light on Slavery
"Wilson finds that there were about 6,200 colored slave-holders in the days of yore, and that these 'Black Masters' owned some 18,000 slaves." -The African Abroad (1913)
"An extremely interesting article." -Albany Law Journal (1905)
"While doing research on black slaveholders early in this century, Calvin Dill Wilson discovered further evidence of William Ellison's reputation for harshness." -Black A Free Family of Color in the Old South (1984)
"In rural Virginia and Maryland also there were free colored slaveholders in considerable numbers." -American Negro Slavery (2013)
"Calvin Dill Wilson is a writer of prominence for magazines." -Harry Probasco, U.S. House of Representatives Hearing, 1918
It is a fact that African-Americans owned slaves in the South before the Civil War, but few people seem to know it.
From Calvin Dill Wilson's short 19-page book "Black Masters," first published in 1904, we learn that wealthy free African-Americans bought and sold members of their own race just as did the Southern white planter and that African-Americans, once slaves and freed by their white masters, became slave-owners, themselves.
"To judge from all that is known on the subject, we may assume that the only thing that prevented the great majority of colored people from buying and trading in one another, was, in addition to the law in some States, their lack of means," according to Watson's Magazine (1913).
In introducing his short work, Wilson
"The most singular and dramatic aspect of slavery in the United States was the occasional ownership of bondsmen by free blacks. Historically, the facts are obscure, little known and difficult to trace; this phase is overlooked by historians, so far as I am aware, and is lost from the memories of most people of this generation..."
More about the
The Rev. Calvin Dill Wilson, D. D., (1857–1946) was born in Baltimore, Maryland, was graduated at Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, Pennsylvania, in 1876, and from the Western Theological Seminary, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, in 1879. He was licensed to preach as a Presbyterian minister by the Presbytery of Pittsburg, April, 1878, and was ordained by the Presbytery of Chester in May, 1880. He was pastor at Atglen, Pennsylvania, 1879-83, Churchville, Maryland, 1883-93, Franklin, Ohio, 1893-1903. He has been pastor at Glendale, Ohio, near Cincinnati, since 1903.
He was the author of
•"Bible Boys and Girls,"
•"The Child's Don Quixote,"
•"The Story of the Cid, for Young People,"
•"The Flight of the Hebrews,"
•"Making the Most of Ourselves" (two series),
•"The Faerie Queene, for Young People,"
•"Chaucer, for Young People,"
•"Working One's Way through College" and
•"A Lost Chapter of American An Account of Negroes Who Owned Slaves."
He also contributed to a large number of magazines and newspapers, essays, verses and stories.
"An extremely interesting article." -Albany Law Journal (1905)
"While doing research on black slaveholders early in this century, Calvin Dill Wilson discovered further evidence of William Ellison's reputation for harshness." -Black A Free Family of Color in the Old South (1984)
"In rural Virginia and Maryland also there were free colored slaveholders in considerable numbers." -American Negro Slavery (2013)
"Calvin Dill Wilson is a writer of prominence for magazines." -Harry Probasco, U.S. House of Representatives Hearing, 1918
It is a fact that African-Americans owned slaves in the South before the Civil War, but few people seem to know it.
From Calvin Dill Wilson's short 19-page book "Black Masters," first published in 1904, we learn that wealthy free African-Americans bought and sold members of their own race just as did the Southern white planter and that African-Americans, once slaves and freed by their white masters, became slave-owners, themselves.
"To judge from all that is known on the subject, we may assume that the only thing that prevented the great majority of colored people from buying and trading in one another, was, in addition to the law in some States, their lack of means," according to Watson's Magazine (1913).
In introducing his short work, Wilson
"The most singular and dramatic aspect of slavery in the United States was the occasional ownership of bondsmen by free blacks. Historically, the facts are obscure, little known and difficult to trace; this phase is overlooked by historians, so far as I am aware, and is lost from the memories of most people of this generation..."
More about the
The Rev. Calvin Dill Wilson, D. D., (1857–1946) was born in Baltimore, Maryland, was graduated at Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, Pennsylvania, in 1876, and from the Western Theological Seminary, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, in 1879. He was licensed to preach as a Presbyterian minister by the Presbytery of Pittsburg, April, 1878, and was ordained by the Presbytery of Chester in May, 1880. He was pastor at Atglen, Pennsylvania, 1879-83, Churchville, Maryland, 1883-93, Franklin, Ohio, 1893-1903. He has been pastor at Glendale, Ohio, near Cincinnati, since 1903.
He was the author of
•"Bible Boys and Girls,"
•"The Child's Don Quixote,"
•"The Story of the Cid, for Young People,"
•"The Flight of the Hebrews,"
•"Making the Most of Ourselves" (two series),
•"The Faerie Queene, for Young People,"
•"Chaucer, for Young People,"
•"Working One's Way through College" and
•"A Lost Chapter of American An Account of Negroes Who Owned Slaves."
He also contributed to a large number of magazines and newspapers, essays, verses and stories.
41 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 22, 2020
62 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Calvin Dill Wilson
24 books1 followerCalvin Dill Wilson (1857–1946)
Works
“Negroes Who Owned Slaves,” in Popular Science Monthly, 81 (November 1912)
Black Masters: A Side-Light on Slavery, as it appeared in the North American Review
White Slavery: An American Paradox, with Carol Wilson
The Drama of One Hundred Acres
The Story of the Cid for Young People (1901)
The Flight of the Hebrews; Told for Young Readers (1902)
The Faery Queen, First Book (1906)
Making the Most of Ourselves; Talk for Young People (1909)
Poetry
"Father and Son" from Patriotic pieces from the Great War (1918)
Works
“Negroes Who Owned Slaves,” in Popular Science Monthly, 81 (November 1912)
Black Masters: A Side-Light on Slavery, as it appeared in the North American Review
White Slavery: An American Paradox, with Carol Wilson
The Drama of One Hundred Acres
The Story of the Cid for Young People (1901)
The Flight of the Hebrews; Told for Young Readers (1902)
The Faery Queen, First Book (1906)
Making the Most of Ourselves; Talk for Young People (1909)
Poetry
"Father and Son" from Patriotic pieces from the Great War (1918)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 7, 2022
Yikes.
White Supremacy wrote an inaccurate book and pretended it was history non fiction.
Pretty sure this is the history anti-critical race theory panickers want taught.
Sigh
White Supremacy wrote an inaccurate book and pretended it was history non fiction.
Pretty sure this is the history anti-critical race theory panickers want taught.
Sigh
August 31, 2022
The woke, radical, CRT, racists will hate this book and try to get it banned and burned. This is because it doesn't promote their racist narrative that all whites are racists, and that all blacks are innocent, virtuous victims of said racism. This book cites numerous court documents as well as considerable anecdotal evidence which shows that free blacks had an equal propensity for slave acquirement as whites and if anything were ever harder on their slaves than whites. Black slaves were and are still held in Africa (an estimated 9.2 million) by notoriously cruel black slave masters so this shouldn't be a surprise to any intelligent person.
Note: Naturally, Amazon has already banned this book at the behest of its clansman/confederate/Democrat masters, like the segregationist POTUS himself. But it can be found elsewhere and online, for now.
Note: Naturally, Amazon has already banned this book at the behest of its clansman/confederate/Democrat masters, like the segregationist POTUS himself. But it can be found elsewhere and online, for now.
September 11, 2020
A book of its time....
Not much to say. Points personally researched prior to learning of this book helped me put this book in perspective. I mistakenly thought this book would give nuggets on a rarely spoken about aspect of this era. The most commonly highlighted sections shows who this essay resonates with, however.
Not much to say. Points personally researched prior to learning of this book helped me put this book in perspective. I mistakenly thought this book would give nuggets on a rarely spoken about aspect of this era. The most commonly highlighted sections shows who this essay resonates with, however.
February 21, 2021
1902 did not produce a flood of information on the topic of Black Slave Owners let alone any real in depth information, but it did lead to pieces of information that disclose that there were indeed black slave owners and some of their practices. This brief survey moves from coming up blank on any information that could support the existence of black slave owners to wills set-up by black slave owners stating what is to happen to their slave upon the black slave master demise.
This book does offer some insight into the motives for some of the actions taken by these black slave owners.
This book does offer some insight into the motives for some of the actions taken by these black slave owners.
July 16, 2020
Strange history
History is a funny thing. It will not be tamed to our preferences or sensibilities any more than individual people will. After all, history is no more than the tale of individuals, driven by lists and dreams common to us all.
History is a funny thing. It will not be tamed to our preferences or sensibilities any more than individual people will. After all, history is no more than the tale of individuals, driven by lists and dreams common to us all.
August 6, 2020
A quick and incomplete study.
The teaser for this short book mentions thousands of blacks being owned by other blacks. In reality the author does not come close to documenting those numbers. He does, however, go through his methodology in researching the topic.
The teaser for this short book mentions thousands of blacks being owned by other blacks. In reality the author does not come close to documenting those numbers. He does, however, go through his methodology in researching the topic.
August 21, 2021
Nor good nor bad but the books done really give you anything but as a time kille for people that want to comfier what is already known then yes but for all other reasons no.
Not that well written either.
Not that well written either.
August 11, 2020
What an interesting little book. The information I read in the book was new to me. I think the book is very informative.
Currently reading
October 1, 2020Informative
Provided good historical data. Painful to be told \informed the severity of slaves upon other slaves. Although in some cases it showed compassion
Provided good historical data. Painful to be told \informed the severity of slaves upon other slaves. Although in some cases it showed compassion
December 25, 2020
Black Masters
A informative classic, with a of information that I did not know, it definitely broadened my scope about the institution of slavery.
A informative classic, with a of information that I did not know, it definitely broadened my scope about the institution of slavery.
May 26, 2021
Ebook wasn't available on Amazon, but found it on Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blac...
February 22, 2021
Interesting but not very informative. Very shot book, that shed light on a little piece of history I knew very little about. Slavery was so engrained at one time, that even some black people enslaved others, bought them inherited them, traded and sometimes freed them.
December 27, 2024
A very interesting take on black slave owners. The majority of the black slaveowners had purchased their spouse and children. They received their freedom from their parent/spouse that owned them.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews