Aspects of Slavery and Freedom Seeking in North Carolina
Wood-Seeking and Finding Freedom
Harry, Windsor, and Aleck
In November 1850, a 40-year-old enslaved man named Harry ran away while working in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. Harry was a carpenter by trade and ran away while working for the railroad line. Harry was formerly the property of Mrs. Copage of Edgecombe County. While this story is all too common when reading through newspapers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, closer inspection uncovers another world of skill and economic dominance amidst the institution of slavery. This is because Harry was a skilled craftsman, and his trade was that of a carpenter. Skilled craftspeople, in general, and African American skilled craftspeople, in particular, comprised a large portion of the enslaved numbers of North Carolina. They were the driving fuel of the state’s economy and produced goods, and they created furniture, built homes, and repaired machinery. To read more about what a skilled craftsperson is CLICK HERE. When we think about a person who has those skills, one immediately recognizes that their value as property increases.
Semi-Weekly Standard (Raleigh, North Carolina) · 30 Nov 1850
This advertisement was purchased on behalf of Mrs. Copage. Harry’s owner was willing to pay $125.00 for his return. In large part, the high dollar amount was connected to his skilled craft as a carpenter. In the nineteenth century, wood was an essential element used to construct most structures.
Another skilled craftsperson named Windsor ran away in July 1852. Windsor was 30 years old and a Cooper by trade. A cooper is a craftsperson who is trained in the art of making wooden barrels and casks. CLICK HERE to see a cooper in action. Coopers were necessary for persons who needed to store goods, tools, supplies, or food. Now Windsor was also a Mulatto, a term attributed to African Americans of a lighter hue or those who were of an interracial origin.
Wilmington Journal (Wilmington, North Carolina) · 6 Feb 1852
The purchased advertisement in the newspaper for an enslaved man named Windsor discusses three interesting and important factors about skilled work and slavery. Those three key themes in this advertisement are as follows: RACE, Hiring Out Process, and Routes to Freedom. The hiring out process occurred when slave owners allowed other people to rent the services of their enslaved people. In the case of Windsor, we see from this advertisement that he was hired out to a Mr. S. Bell nut and belonged to James M. Bell
Aleck
Hillsborough, N.C. / Hillsborough Recorder 1855-08-08
Aleck was one in a group of enslaved people who ran away. While Aleck was a mason and carpenter who was trained in working with wood. Perhaps the most fascinating fact about Aleck is that the subscriber looking for Aleck offers the information that Aleck is known to carry an account book and maintains records of his work and payments for work. Aleck was an enslaved person by law in North Carolina in 1830. Therefore, the person looking for Aleck was aware that Aleck could read and write and disregard the information in order to secure his return. Through this small yet massive bit of information, it becomes clear that the labor of enslaved persons was more valuable than any other form of work. Furthermore, skilled craftspeople working with wood could produce so many tools and structures that their labor was invaluable.
Conclusion
While only the beginning of a thorough investigation into Wood’s connection to slavery and North Carolina, it is apparent that by gazing through the lens of naval stores, iron furnaces, and skilled enslaved runaways, a story of economic reliance and independence appears along with a brief vignette of skilled freedom seekers who profiteered from their ornate skills. The purpose of this chapter was to envision the magnitude of the element wood and its impact on the culture. Reflecting on the key terms of this chapter helps cement the power and place of wood in North Carolina.