Since reading Valerie Hughes’ blog post, The Importance of Sharing the Slave History from your
Family Trees,[1]
I’ve been inspired and simultaneously dreading to admit that my ancestor Daniel
Joseph was a slave owner in Augusta County, Virginia.
Daniel Joseph lived in Augusta County, Virginia during
the 1780’s. As Daniel was Jewish, there’s no doubt he faced prejudice from his
community in the very rural Augusta County. I only have this to say—he should
have known better.
I’ve learned of Daniel’s slave ownership from the Augusta
County, Virginia personal property tax records. The earliest personal property
tax laws were established in Virginia in 1782 to raise money for the new Virginia
government during the American Revolution. A tax commissioner in each district
needed to determine the name of the person charged with the tax, the name of
white male tithables over the age of 21, the number of white male tithables
between 16 and 21, the number of slaves above and below the age of 16, horses,
cattle, carriage wheels and ordinary licenses.
In 1783 he was assessed for 2 tithables, 3 horses, 5
cattle, 1 white person, and 1 black person in Capt. Campbell’s Company District.
[2] Daniel
was still an Augusta County resident in 1784. His taxes included 1 white
tithable above 21, 1 black above 16
named Dean, 1 black under 16 named
Ben, 1 horse and 3 cows.[3] I’ve
searched the Augusta County and Rockingham County personal property tax lists
during Daniel’s lifetime and found no other slave tax.
I’ve contributed my information to AfriGeneas.com to
include with their Slave Data Collection and hope Dean and Ben’s families look
for them.
Previous posts
about Daniel Joseph:
If you would like additional information, the Library of
Virginia has published online “Research Notes Number 3, Using Personal Property
Tax Records in the Archives at the Library of Virginia”.[4]
[1]
Blog ‘Genealogy With Valerie’ http://genealogywithvalerie.wordpress.com/2014/03/30/the-importance-of-sharing-the-slave-history-from-your-family-trees/
[2]
Augusta Co. VA Personal Property Tax List for 1783 on microfilm at the Library
of Virginia
[3]
Augusta Co. VA Personal Property Tax List for
1784 on microfilm at the Library of Virginia
[4]
Library of Virginia web site http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/guides/rn3_persprop.pdf
Great post! I am so glad that you shared this with AfriGeneas.com. I am sure they really appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteValerie Hughes
I'm glad you liked my post. Thank you.
ReplyDelete