The Hanging of Thomas Jeremiah: A Free Black Man's Encounter with Liberty

by J. William Harris

The tragic untold story of how a nation struggling for its freedom denied it to one of its own. In 1775, Thomas Jeremiah was one of fewer than five hundred “Free Negros” in South Carolina and, with an estimated worth of £1,000 (about $200,000 in today’s dollars), possibly the richest person of African descent in British North America. A slaveowner himself, Jeremiah was falsely accused by whites—who resented his success as a Charleston harbor pilot—of sowing insurrection among slaves at the behest of the British. Chief among the accusers was Henry Laurens, Charleston’s leading patriot, a slaveowner and former slave trader, who would later become the president of the Continental Congress. On the other side was Lord William Campbell, royal governor of the colony, who passionately believed that the accusation was unjust and tried to save Jeremiah’s life but failed. Though a free man, Jeremiah was tried in a slave court and sentenced to death. In August 1775, he was hanged and his body burned. J. William Harris tells Jeremiah’s story in full for the first time, illuminating the contradiction between a nation that would be born in a struggle for freedom and yet deny it—often violently—to others.

Genres: History, American History

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Meaghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I wrote about Thomas Jeremiah in a guest entry for the blog Executed Today.)

The case of Thomas Jeremiah, from what little is known of it, sounds fascinating. He lived in South Carolina in the 1770s, one of only about 500 or so free blacks in the entire state. Somehow he was able to claw his way upward, profiting from his skill as a ship's pilot, and by the time of his death he was one of the richest black men in the North American colonies, worth the equivalent of $200,000 in modern money. As the epilogue notes, he "did not need to gather arms or preach revolution to undermine slavery, because his whole life was a refutation of whites' basic justification for slavery." Then he was accused of trying to incite a slave insurrection, duly framed in a slave court in spite of his status as a free man, and executed in short order.

It's a great, multilayered and tragic story, and it would make a great novel or movie. The problem is, the life and death of Thomas Jeremiah is simply not well documented enough to make a nonfiction book out of. Most of the records of his trial have been lost. We don't know anything about his personal life, who his wife was, whether she was a slave, if they had kids. There are no records about his property, either, though it is known that he was himself a slaveowner. (I wonder how he justified that to himself?)

That doesn't matter much to Dr. Harris, though, who uses the case as a jumping-off point to discuss larger issues. The Hanging of Thomas Jeremiah might best be summarized like this: "This is how the sociopolitical climate was in Charleston, South Carolina just before the American Revolution broke out. Oh, and a guy named Thomas Jeremiah was hanged." The book isn't about the hanged man at all; he isn't even discussed in detail until over 90 pages in. I feel deceived.

Don't get me wrong -- this is a good history book about South Carolina around the time of the Revolution, and in particular about the slavery issue. But I didn't want to read about that. I wanted to read about a particular historical criminal case and miscarriage of justice, which is what the title and jacket flap promised and didn't deliver.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this book. I thought it gave excellent background information while also giving an understanding of how this example would only happen in this one part of the country with the exact timing of the Revolution. Fascinating.

[allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

if a saltine was a book. thank you college level u.s. history.

[Blair Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

A free black man, himself a slave owner, is wrongfully executed by American patriots while British officials desperately try to save him as the American Revolution rolls forward. A fascinating look at the complexities of liberty and race in American history.

[Butch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at SC, particularly Charleston just before the Revolutionary War turned ugly down south. Loyalist, rebels, British government and a large slave population turned out a bad mix for one of Charleston's free blacks, harbor pilot and wealthiest black man in America.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking forward to assigning this for American Revolution class. It's a good introduction to historical monographs, and the language is not too difficult, even as it discusses some pretty important intellectual argument.

[Rosanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recounting of a litle known incident before the Revolutionary War . A free man who is a pilot ship owner in Charlestown,S.c. is accused of plotting a slave revolt even though he is himself a slave owner.

[Kelly Obernuefemann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is less the story of an execution and more the contradictions of founding father Henry Laurens. There is very little actually known about the titular person.

[Abi · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5
Had to read this for one of my classes 🤷🏼‍♀️