Black Slaveowners by Larry Koger

Author:Larry Koger
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Published: 2013-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Free Black Artisans: A Need for Labor

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, there existed a small but vibrant class of free black artisans in the urban communities of South Carolina. Even though the source of the Southern economy stemmed from the plantation system, the majority of free blacks could not obtain the capital to invest in land and slaves for rice or cotton planting. As a result of the shortages of skilled workers and manufactured goods, many plantations were not self-contained units and had to seek the urban centers as a source for skills and goods which could not be furnished by slaves. Meanwhile, the plantations provided the towns with agricultural goods; thus a network of interdependence was formed between rural and urban communities. As the southern economy grew and small towns became cities, many free blacks benefitted from the expansion. With the growth of the urban communities, free persons of color were employed as barbers, bricklayers, cabinet makers, carpenters, caterers, coopers, cotton gin makers, mantua makers, millwrights, pastry cooks, seamstresses, shoemakers, and tailors. Once they entered their trades and began to prosper, the colored artisans wanted to expand their businesses, but expansion usually entailed the acquisition of added laborers. Since most of the available workers were bondsmen, the colored artisans found themselves purchasing slaves to be employed as laborers.

Unlike the colored planters of the countryside, the colored artisans did not require much capital to start their businesses. Usually, they needed only the tools of their trade and a place to conduct their work. In many instances, the homes of black artisans served as their workshops only until they purchased more suitable shops in the business districts. Yet many artisans worked in trades which could be performed in the confines of their own homes and required no special place of work. For example, the seamstress easily accomplished her tasks within the home. Other skills could be furnished outside of both the home environment and the workshop. For the most part, the carpenter was employed on projects which demanded only the sweat of his brow and the tools to perform the job. Thus, with only a minimal amount of capital invested in their trades, the colored artisans soon began to prosper.

In many instances, the success of the artisan of African descent was manifested in his acquisition of slaves. As early as the eighteenth century, the well-to-do bricklayers purchased slaves to be employed as workers. When the demand for the skills of bricklayers increased, they often used slaves as bricklayers. During the 1770s, there was a great demand for the services of bricklayer, builders, carpenters, and plasterers because the Revolutionary War and the fire of 1778 caused much destruction, prompting a revival of construction in Charlestown. Consequently, the colored bricklayers found an eager market for their skills.1 In 1787, William Raper, a free mulatto of Charlestown, used the labor of four adult males in the bricklaying business. Raper employed his slaves named Jimmy, Tom, and Ishmael as bricklayers, while Paul worked as a laborer.

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