Joanne wrote, "Just reading the wills of some "small time" planters (owned 
less than 20 slaves) reveals how devastating slavery was to families."
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I believe the wills tell more about slavery in Virginia than any other 
source. I have read over a thousand of them. Slaveowners almost exclusively 
refer to their slaves in the same terms as their farm animals and other 
property:

To my son John one cow, my negro Tom, my wearing apparel.
To my daughter Mary one cow, my wench Jane, a bed and bedstead.
etc.

Paul