19th Century Slavery in West Virginia
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19th Century Slavery in West Virginia
19th Century Slavery in West Virginia
In his second inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln opined that slavery was the cause of the civil war. This statement is now widely agreed that slavery played a central role in the war (Woods, 2012). James McPherson asserted this fact by stating that tariffs, rights, or the principle of secession cannot sufficiently account for the war (McPherson, 2000 p. 13). However, the phenomenon of slavery does not rest solely on its causative effects, as has been demonstrated by the recent apparent overwhelming debate by scholars of American history. To this effect, Edward Ayers asserts that “Slavery and freedom remain the keys to understanding the war, but they are the place to begin our questions, not to end them.” (Ayers, 2005 p. 128). On February 3, 1881, a bill that allowed all eligible voters in the West Virginia state to be jurors was a major mark of the heights to which the emancipation had achieved.
Traditionally, West Virginia was considered a place where slavery did not exist, albeit few exceptional cases in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. Chiefly because West Virginia had a rough terrain, which was unfavorable for practicing large scale agriculture (Brumfield, 2019), this argument is commonly drawn because West Virginia seceded from Virginia in the civil war. However, this argument may be faulty as there was widespread racial discrimination even after the cessation of the slave trade previously in 1865.
The pro-slavery ideology consisted of views that abolitionism had made Africans and their descendants to become dangerous to society and had accelerated crime in the state. The pro abolitionists, on the other hand, argued that the emancipation had been peaceful, yielded profits, and additionally, that it was servitude that degraded the black slaves and not their mere skin tone. More so, the pro-slavery ideologists perpetuated the perception that the efforts for the abolishment of slavery led to a catastrophic race war and the cooperation of savage slaves and fanatical white natives. They would view it as a kind overturning tables on them by their destitute servants.
The slavery issue in the antebellum period raised a lot of concerns from the people of America. There were alarming concerns within the people, especially in those who had a significant say to the community. The issue led them to have divided opinions on the issue of slavery; there are those who stood by slavery, which mainly included the people from the Southern part, including West Virginia. These were mainly historians, economists, religionists, and humanitarians, just to mention a few. Those who stood by the continuity of slavery had opted for this due to their belief that slavery was for the betterment of their growth and the improvement of their economy. This group-based their argument that if slavery was brought to an end, there would be severe consequences. The slaves being a major important source of cheap labor in their fields, which was their main source of income and had great boos on their agricultural-based economy. This action would consequently have a great negative effect on the quality and quantity of their harvest as the slaves were the source of their labor. Cotton, which requires a lot of labor will be greatly affected; tobacco and rice fields would not be an exception to this downfall of this agricultural economy. Slavery was the main source of labor that had a great role in the agricultural economy, and putting an end to slavery would have negative effects.
After the approval of the bill allowing eligible black voters to be jurors culminating from the Supreme court’s finding that West Virginia’s African Americans in 1881, there was still friction between the pro abolitionists and pro-slavery. This was exhibited in 1888 when disgruntled African American delegates convened in Charleston to discuss their cause of action. The 49 delegates resolved to nominate their own nominees to run using their election ticket. This election was the most significant in the history of African American elections then. Their organization created a major voting force. This caused new disagreement, which was now between the democrats and republicans. The Democrats accused the Republicans of transporting African Americans from Virginia to vote in their favor, which was illegal according to the electoral practice. This and several other cases of accusations and counter-accusations among the two parties constantly caused electoral disputes for results. Such cases were during elections in Fayette, Raleigh, Wyoming, McDowell, Mercer counties (Sheeler, 1954). The electoral disputes caused by the ability to vote by freed slaves was even more evident when the winner of the elections was declared more than a year later because of dispute (Sheeler, 1954). These electoral disputes highlight the impact of the abolishment of slavery and, in hindsight, what restriction of freedoms it had caused.
Another major development in the state of African American liberation post-slavery was the establishment of the West Virginia State College. Previously known as the West Virginia Colored Institute, the college was one of the leading African American educational institutions in America (Harrison, 1963). The institution based in Kanawha County was built after proposals to convert the Storer College in Harpers were rejected. The enabling legal provision was from an act passed in 1981 by the governor. The institution was heavily relied upon by the liberation struggle of the African Americans as a source of educating its young population so that they may take up leadership roles. Another colored learning institution was created in 1895, enhancing the education of the black people and highlighting the gains that the pro abolitionists had achieved. The institute in Mercer County was named Bluefield Colored institute and later Bluefield State College (Sheeler, 1954). Education was a major aspect of the fight for liberation predictively because to occupy positions where they are able to influence national and regional policy, and they had to have education.
The election of Christopher Payne from Fayette county as the first African American member of the legislature was another milestone in the strive against slavery. His election was a testament to the progress in party politics initiated during the first African American delegate convention (Sheeler, 1954). The African American community and its leaders saw this as the ultimate genesis of the total eradication of slavery and discriminative practice all over America. The pro-slavery ideologists, however, saw this as the advent of the infiltration of inferior African Americans into the sensitive American political policy.
Education was a sensitive issue in the liberation era. The conflict between pro-slavery and pro abolition ideologies was highlighted in the 1896 attempt to reduce the African American school term from the usual eight to a mere five months by the board of education (Miller, 1904). A black teacher named Carrie Williams, who taught in the segregated school system in Tucker County, had taught for the entire period of eight months and thus sued the board of education to reimburse the additional three months’ salary (Trotter, 1991). Thus the suit Williams v. Board of education of Tucker County was incepted. Williams lawyer, Clifford J. R. further put forward that African American schools should be subjected to the same amount of funding as the white schools. Williams eventually won the case in a remarkable turn of events for the American education system equality wise. The case was a first of its kind nationally to rule that discrimination based on the color of one’s skin is contrary to the constitution. The case made inroads into uncharted territory and maintained West Virginia’s high position in tackling the causative effects of slavery.
Between 1900 and 1906, several occurrences in the black struggle for liberation from slavery occurred. Firstly, West Virginia Colored Orphans Home, located in the town of Blumfield, was incorporated by the West Virginia Legislature (Posey, 1934). Then, James M. Ellis of Fayette County was elected as a member of the West Virginia legislature in 1902. He became the second African American legislator in the West Virginia house of the legislature. In 1906, the African American medical practitioners created the West Virginia Medical Society. In the same year, a second African American meeting was called and held at Harpers Ferry, Jefferson County. The group called the Niagara Movement was led by DuBois was at the forefront of the “National Association for the Advancement of Colored People” (Harpers Ferry National Historical Park History Database). The activities showed the beginning of the formation of political and professional organizations to strategize in a bid to secure the interests of the black people.
In 1909, West Virginia State petitioned for compensation for the slaves on whom capital punishment had been imposed on by the former government of Virginia before seceding. The suit also sought the prewar debts to be adjusted. This demonstrated West Virginia’s frontline position nationally in eradicating slavery and its effect. It asserted the national wide opinion that informs the perception of historians even today that West Virginia was rid of slavery in the strictest terms.
However, despite the consistent progress in the anti-slavery agenda, a blight in West Virginia’s perceived liberation existed. In 1915, there were no enough schools and capacity to accommodate the demand for education was exposed when some 78 African American residents of West Virginia sought external admission in colleges. Additionally, the existing colleges in West Virginia could not confer degrees. It would not be until 1929 that the first African American college, Bluefield State Institute could confer degrees to African Americans. The delay in allowing African Americans to be conferred with degrees is interesting and thought to evoke. The act of simply conferring degrees seems harmless at face value, but pro-slavery ideologues felt threatened by the advancement of education by African. Americans. The white imperialists were cognizant of the fact that education was a potent weapon that the African Americans could utilize to overcome slavery ideology. This highlights the inconsistency in the representation of West Virginia as superiorly anti-slavery among other states.
The period between 1919 and 1921 was important for the African American initiative to enhance education among its society. Three black legislators collectively created various educational institutions for African American society. These institutions were fully government-funded. They established a boys and girls school each in Lakin and Huntington, respectively, and then special schools for the deaf and blind in Lakin. The special schools comprised of the deaf, blind, and mentally challenged (Posey, 1934). These initiatives targeting African Americans with special needs were initiated by black leaders, which was a shift from the previous agitation for development to the position of being able to impact development in their community.
The attention shifted to concentrate more on strengthening the structure of African American society through social programs. In 1925, an inaugural West Virginia Athletic Union State Basketball tournament commenced. Eleven high school basketball teams participated in the tournament. During the same year, Griffith’s Birth of a Nation was intended to commence at Rialto Theatre in Charleston, but a number of African American political leaders protested against it. They contested that the film contravened entertainment laws, which forbade the showing off and material that demeaned the African Americans or other minority races. Mayor Wetz concurred with them and consequently stopped any airing of the film in the city.
As the cotton industry took hold, making slavery become more and further entrenched across South America, the peculiar opposition institutions similarly began to rise and grow. The first slavery solution question arose. In this effect, supporters of colonization intended to transplant the African American slaves back to Africa. In 1930, the Kanawha power corporation began operations on the Hawk’s Nest Tunnel and dam, which was an ambitious project to offer alternative employment for African Americans. Eight hundred workers were thus employed in the projects. However, there were inadequate safety precautions leading to 475 workers majority African Americans died from silicosis. The condition was caused by the inhalation of minute particles of silica. To conceal the actual death toll, some workers were buried in mass graves. Later research established that more than 700 workers died in the project which made it the worst in the history of industrial disasters,
The defenders of slavery moreover urged that if slavery was abolished, there would be increased unemployment. Eradication of slavery meant that all slaves would be free in thought, spirit, and speech. It gave African Americans rights as citizens of America, meaning that they had to be paid wages in exchange for their labor. Having a few job opportunities would result in a lot of unemployment and chaos in the country. Uprisings, anarchy, and bloodshed would become a common issue due to the alarming unemployment rate. In 1931, two African Americans were ejected from Greenbrier County by whites and lynched in the streets. A number of the persons who participated in the mob lynching were convicted. Consequently, the Supreme Court in West Virginia confirmed an anti-lynching law. The white lynchers based this chaos on the mob’s ‘rule of terror’ in the French Revolution period. They urged for the continuation of the status quo, which was responsible for providing both stability and affluence to the slaveholding class and for all those who enjoyed the slavery society. The abolishment of slavery would, therefore, result in a negative social impact in the country.
The defenders of slavery also urged that slavery existed throughout history period, and no law has prohibited it. It was said to be the natural state of humankind to have various classes, including slavery throughout history. They even referred to the Christian Bible, which comments on the existence of slavery throughout the Bible. This is by Abraham owning a lot of slaves. Moreover, the Ten Commandments commanded that ” thou shall not enter covet their neighbor’s house…nor his manservants or his maidservants. Additionally, the New Testament seemed to uphold slavery. This is because Paul returned a runaway slave, Philemon, to his master. Jesus also had many teaching majorities on the relationship of human mankind, but He never prohibited slavery despite the fact that it was being practiced.
They relied on a simple philosophy urging that the slaves were brought to work in America unwilling and involuntarily. They did not even consent their transportation through the Atlantic Ocean. They, therefore, wanted to give them a chance to enjoy their own lives together with their families; this was by reversing their transportation to America by transporting them back to their continent Africa. They even raised funds to facilitate this transportation of the slaves back to Africa. The nation of Liberia was consequently created as a haven for former American slaves.
Most of the African American slaves, however, declined this practice. Any of them had not stepped their foot on African soil and those who had lived many years ago. According to the African American slaves argument is that they played a major role in building and developing America. Due to their enormous contributions, they, therefore, live as free citizens of America.
By the end of the decade, in full-blown Abolitionist movement was born. This Abolitionist did not only call for the gradual end of slavery as their predecessor group of Abolitionists had but also advocated for compensation to the slave owner due to loss of their property as the slaves were freed and taken back to Africa. Moreover, they raised money for the purchase of other slaves in order to free others. This new group of abolitionists saw slavery as a blight on America, and it must be brought down as soon as possible. Consequently, many petitions to Congress and the State campaign for slaves were established. This increased inflammatory pieces of literature in the South.
There were a lot of concerns due to this new group of Abolitionists who seemed to be focused on stopping the causative effects of slavery, and these battle lines were clearly drawn for the liberation policy drives. Andrew Jackson, the then president of the United States, banned the mailing of letters in the post office from delivering Abolitionist literature to the South. On top of this, a ‘ Gag Rule’ that forbade and prohibited discussion of bills and matters that its intention is to prohibit slavery in the United States. Abolitionists were always a minority due to their anti-slaves campaign. They remained a minority even in the Civil War. Additionally, the New Testament seemed to uphold slavery. This is because Paul returned a runaway slave, Philemon, to his master. Jesus also had many teaching majorities on the relationship of human mankind, but He never prohibited slavery despite the fact that it was being practiced. In 1954, West Virginia Willard Brown spoke to the White Sulphur Springs Baptist Church. In the meeting, Protestants put off the lights and fired at the church. It was an attempt to quell off the resistance for disintegration in schools
Slavery associated actions were seen to have been comprehensively prohibited by law when the American Supreme court ruled that it was illegal to segregate schools on the basis of the color of the skin. The ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas in 1954 brought about desegregation of schools in America. The ruling had a ripple effect on all the remnant slavery practices in American institutions and agencies such as the Negro Bureau of Welfare and Statistics (Johnson, 1954)
References
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McPherson, J. M., (2000) what caused the civil war?
Ayers, E. L. (2005). What caused the civil war? Reflections on the South and Southern History
Sheeler, J. R. (1954). The Negro in West Virginia before 1900. (Doctoral dissertation, West Virginia University.)
Harrison, C. M. (1963). The West Virginia Administrative Procedure Act. W. Va. L. Rev.,m 66, 159.
Trotter, Jr, J. W., & Bickley, A. R. (1991). Honoring Our Past: Proceedings of the First Two conferences on West Virginia’s Black History. Huntington, West Virginia: Alliance for the Collection, preservation, and dissemination of West Virginia’s Black History.
Miller, T. C. (1904). History of education in West Virginia. The Tribune Printing Company
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Posey, T. E (1934). The Negro Citizen of West Virginia. University Microfilms.
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