Slavery in Savannah

1750-1865


The cargo hold of a slave vessel
(Image courtesy of Willis Hakim Jones)


 
 

Officially slavery in Georgia had been banned by General Oglethorpe and the founding Trustees. Unofficially, slavery had been practiced by importing enslaved laborers from South Carolina and by individuals in Savannah with officials looking the other way.
 



View of the Pulaski Hotel, a favorite spot for slave dealers, visiting Savannah with the Old City Exchange in background.
(Courtesy of the Georgia Historical Society)


 
 

The Georgia colonists kept clamoring for slavery claiming that the colony would remain poor unless it followed the South Carolina example. So, the Trustees gave in and slavery was officially permitted beginning in 1750. Officially, slavery existed in Georgia one hundred fifteen years.
The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which abolished slavery was passed by the Congress in 1865.
 



Slave Quarters at the Owens-Thomas House in downtown Savannah


 


Nominal Slaves

It became fairly common in Savannah for masters to give a nominal freedom to their slaves. An unknown yet considerable number of slaves were permitted to live on their own, renting houses, selling goods and paying their owners a stipulated weekly amount.

Many slaves had freedom of movement on the streets before curfew hours. Then, only discreet slaves or frree people of color, or those on good terms with the patrol might be ignored.

Living in one's own house or room was illegal. However, this was a practice allowed in Savannah thoughout the antebellum period. The main areas where Savannah's slaves and free blacks congregated were the outlying districts to the east and west of the central part of the city. Yamacraw on the western edge of the city was black Savannah's most popular area.

By 1798, Oglethorpe Ward, of which Yamacraw was a major part, contained more blacks--both slave and free--than any other ward in the city.
 



Click on the image for a larger version
One of the largest slave auctions ever held in the U.S. took place in Savannah in 1859 when Pierce Butler placed over 400 slaves for sale.
In that same year, John Brown staged his raid on the Federal Arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, in an attempt to incite slave uprisings.
(Courtesy of Willis Hakim Jones)


 




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