Jim, (and All),
Thanks for appreciating the article. I am in process of expanding
it this month, so I am think about Mecklenburg County and Chase
City in particular. Yes, there was some tension between native
Virginians and Northern migrants there, but also a political battle of
some consequence between two "Yankees;" C.C. Riddick and
W.J. Sloan, over patronage, etc. This conflict allowed white
Democrats to gain some ground in that Magisterial District in the
late 1880s, whereas earlier the Democrats had practically ceased
to exist as a party in M'bg, the Republican hegemony was so
pervasive.
I haven't come across a Hershman in the records I have
examined, but I have seen evidence of several schemes for
colonization from the North of M'bg Co. I had assumed that Chase
City was an Ohio settlement, but do not remember ever reading
that it was. Would appreciate any documentation you would be
willing to share on the settlement, subsequent community
development, genealogy.
Thanks--
Harold
Date sent: Wed, 15 Aug 2001 08:17:49 -0400
From: James Hershman <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Teaching Slaves to Read
To: [log in to unmask]
Send reply to: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
<[log in to unmask]>
Organization: Georgetown University
> Harold,
>
> Sorry to take so long to get back to you. I've been at home in Leesburg or
> down in Southside trying to sell some old tobacco land out in Hairston
> country (no end of problems, little money). And, yep, I agree the
> slaveholders deadly feared any central government that they did not
> control, London or Washington.
>
> By the way, I've been meaning to ask you since your area of study has been
> Southside politics in the late 19th century (I have a quite good article
> by you) about the little town where my ancestors lived in Mecklenburg
> County. My grandfather was brought at six months of age by his family from
> Ohio to the little town of Chase City in 1872. They were part of a
> migration of 300 families, mostly German descend, from a county in eastern
> Ohio to Chase City (named for Salmon P.Chase, a big abolitionist, in
> Southside Virginia!). Family tradition, mostly oral, has it that there was
> a lot of tension with the local whites. As a historian, back 30 years ago
> when I did a master's thesis at Wake Forest on the NC Republican
> Fusionists in the 1890s, I ran across one of my grandfather's older
> brothers, George Hershman, who got himself elected by the Fusionist as a
> judge in Concord, NC. Just wondered whether he might have been involved
> with the Readjusters in VA and fled in the early 1890s across the border.
> I've never looked into it much, don't know if there's some little anomaly
> in Southside history there.
>
> Jim Hershman
>
>
> "Harold S. Forsythe" wrote:
>
> > Jim,
> >
> > You are right on the facts, but what I had attempted to argue was
> > that the powers claimed by Parliament (and the English courts),
> > were precisely the powers claimed by US nationalists in the
> > antebellum period and fought by pro-slavery, states' rights political
> > thinkers from the South. Thus, the bullet dodged by slaveholder in
> > 1776, struck in the 1860s.
> >
> > Harold
> >
> > Date sent: Mon, 06 Aug 2001 14:14:30 -0400
> > From: James Hershman <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: Teaching Slaves to Read
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Send reply to: Discussion of research and writing about
> > Virginia history
> > <[log in to unmask]>
> > Organization: Georgetown University
> >
> > > Not so sure the British Parliament was inclined to the abolition of
> > > slavery in the 1760s and 1770s. After all, it blocked an attempt by
> > > Virginia's colonial legislature to block the importation of slaves
> > > into the colony in the 1760s (TJ tried to note that fact in The
> > > Declaration). Slavery was ended in Britain by a 1773 court case, not
> > > an act of Parliament. But certainly by the 1830s and 1840s the
> > > planters were concerned that the British would get the Texas territory
> > > and close it off to slaveholders.
> > >
> > > Jim Hershman
> > >
> > > "Harold S. Forsythe" wrote:
> > >
> > > > Paul and All,
> > > >
> > > > I think Paul is correct on this. The very power of Parliament to
> > > > repeal all acts supporting slavery, both acts of Parliament and acts
> > > > of colonial agencies (legislatures?), was the great fear of the
> > > > plantocracy in the 18th century; a fear reduxed in the controversy
> > > > over the commerce clause in the era of Gibbons v. Ogden in the
> > > > 1820s, and upon "black Republican" Lincoln's election to the
> > > > Presidency.
> > > >
> > > > Date sent: Mon, 06 Aug 2001 08:30:15 -0500
> > > > From: [log in to unmask]
> > > > Subject: Re: Teaching Slaves to Read
> > > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > > Send reply to: Discussion of research and writing about
> > > > Virginia history
> > > > <[log in to unmask]>
> > > >
> > > > > I am late coming to this discussion, and have been out of the
> > > > > office for a while, but it seems to me you could make a strong
> > > > > argument that from the perspective of slaves, the wrong side one
> > > > > the REvolution and that freedom would have come earlier (1830s)
> > > > > and easier if the British had retained the colonies. THis assumes
> > > > > all other historical events, including imperial emancipation
> > > > > happen as they did.
> > > > I remember Gary Nash giving a lecture on the Revolution during the
> > > > Bicentennial. He
> > > > said that blacks and Native Americans opposed the Revolution for
> > > > revolutionary reasons. This, a rather nice summary of the idea that
> > > > a British victory over the "settlers," meant greater freedom and
> > > > opportunity for the "natives."
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Paul Finkelman
> > > > > Univ. of Tulsa College of Law
> > > > >
> > > > > Quoting "Harold S. Forsythe" <[log in to unmask]>:
> > > > >
> > > > > > I find Kevin Phillips to be the only contemporary political
> > > > > > journalist/commentator
> > > > > > who seems to know or care much about history. I do not always
> > > > > > agree with him, and certainly he is no archival scholar, but he
> > > > > > seems quite well read.
> > > > > > To the point of American independence being good for slavery:
> > > > > > CERTAINLY! In 1772 Lord Mansfield in Somerset's Case, ruled
> > > > > > that slavery must be supported by positive legislation, because
> > > > > > the status was not supported in common law (here I am
> > > > > > summarizing from memory.) Given that Parliament at that very
> > > > > > moment was involved in a contentious controversy with the
> > > > > > Colonies about which legislature, Commons and Lords, or say the
> > > > > > House of Burgesses, had real legislative authority in Virginia,
> > > > > > the move toward independence clearly put authority over slavery
> > > > > > into the hands of the Gov't of Virginia, not in London.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Date sent: Thu, 02 Aug 2001 11:08:10 -0400
> > > > > > From: Deane <[log in to unmask]>
> > > > > > Subject: Re: Teaching Slaves to Read
> > > > > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > > > > Send reply to: Discussion of research and writing about
> > > > > > Virginia history
> > > > > > <[log in to unmask]>
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > With all due respect, Kevin Phillips does not and never has
> > > > > > > impressed
> > > > > > me
> > > > > > > as much of an historian. He is more of a 'retrospective
> > > > > > > speculator'.
> > > > > > It is
> > > > > > > difficult for me to take his thoughts and ideas too seriously.
> > > > > > Sincerely,
> > > > > > > Deane Mills York County Virginia Subject: Re: Teaching Slaves
> > > > > > > to Read
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > A related question comes to mind: To what extent
> > > > > > > > did the American
> > > > > > > > Revolution "liberate" the American colonies from Britain's
> > > > > > increasing
> > > > > > > > anti-slavery measures and perhaps contribute to the
> > > > > > > > establishment
> > > > > > of
> > > > > > > > more stringent slavery regulations in the American South, of
> > > > > > > > which restrictions on education are just one? In his recent
> > > > > > > > book, "The Cousins' Wars", Kevin Phillips seems to suggest
> > > > > > > > that was the case.
> > > > > > > > :-) Bob Shriner
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >From: Loretta Kelldorf <[log in to unmask]>
> > > > > > > > >Subject: Re: Teaching Slaves To Read
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > >Would there be a distinct difference in those laws
> > > > > > > > >affecting the
> > > > > > =
> > > > > > > > >education of Negroes before 1831 and those laws beginning
> > > > > > > > >in 1831
> > > > > > and
> > > > > > > > >= later? I am thinking of the Nathaniel Turner massacre in
> > > > > > Southampton
> > > > > > > > >VA
> > > > > > > =
> > > > > > > > > was in 1831, which event contributed to changed attitudes
> > > > > > > > > and laws
> > > > > > =
> > > > > > > > >affecting the black people.=20
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
> > > > > > > > instructions at
> > > > > > > > http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
> > > > > > instructions
> > > > > > > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Harold S. Forsythe
> > > > > > Assistant Professor History
> > > > > > Director: Black Studies
> > > > > > Fairfield University
> > > > > > Fairfield, CT 06430-5195
> > > > > > (203) 254-4000 x2379
> > > > > >
> > > > > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
> > > > > > instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
> > > > > instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
> > > >
> > > > Harold S. Forsythe
> > > > Assistant Professor History
> > > > Director: Black Studies
> > > > Fairfield University
> > > > Fairfield, CT 06430-5195
> > > > (203) 254-4000 x2379
> > > >
> > > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
> > > > instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
> > >
> > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
> > > instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
> >
> > Harold S. Forsythe
> > Assistant Professor History
> > Director: Black Studies
> > Fairfield University
> > Fairfield, CT 06430-5195
> > (203) 254-4000 x2379
> >
> > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
> > instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
Harold S. Forsythe
Assistant Professor History
Director: Black Studies
Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT 06430-5195
(203) 254-4000 x2379
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
|
