Hi Rodney, Students examine the factors that led many northerners to turn against federal policies passed during the Reconstruction era that protected freedpeople. Here, our list of notable early African American names. In 1911, Barnett and Frys widow, Mollie, both applied for pensions from the government. Phillis Wheatley (May 8, 1753 - December 5, 1784) Source = Wikimedia. 18. . Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. CLICK HERE TO SAVE YOUR SEAT! I would still recommend all of these books, except the first one listed for obvious reasons. Here, three different former slaves discuss their names and the changes they underwent after Emancipation. Ebba: One of the more unique girl names from the 1800s. Forenames. Practices undoubtedly varied, and different archival sources may yield different conclusions. I liked the name better than Octavia, and so I took it with me to Danville, and was never called anything else there than that name. Famous name bearers: many King Louis of France, Sandra Bullock's son and actor Louis Partridge. Thanks LaBrenda! I belonged to him until emancipation. Distinctively Black names were thought to have risen from the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, which promoted the use of names with connections to Africa. Elaine Fantham, Helene Peet Foley, Natalie Boymel Kampen, Sarah B. Pomeroy, H. A. Shapiro. Tell me the name you were called before you met Phillip Fry? My father would be 105 if he were alive. My great grandfather Wilson Percival was born in South Carolina and I believe he took his surname from last slave owners family. Or, the Slaves were given numbers or classical Greek names. Most did not want to use their former owners surname, even through about 20% did use the slave owners name. Choose the best name for your child. They identified 21 distinctly Black male names, among them biblical classics such as Abraham and Moses, and word names including Freeman and Prince. For him, this meant claiming his new identity as a freedman and a citizen. Part of what drives me in this research, I think, is the feeling that I am reclaiming their stories, their names, and their very being, even if what I uncover is just a tiny bit. Allard. In 1836, William Turbeville died leaving an estate with several slaves who were brothers: Turner, Nelson, Simon, Jordan, and Jacob. . They established and held on to their own cultural traditions in the small spaces that slavery afforded them. Five of the slaves were sold to the Washingtons and brought to Wessyngton. Your insight is always welcome and I am glad you shared these posts for other readers to see. Names from the Bible were another common practice, for given and surnames. CLARKE - The name comes from 'clerk, a clergyman, a scholar, one who can read and write' and is most prevalent in England, where some 89,337 people are recorded with this surname. Questions about slave naming intersect with some of the major debates in slavery studies (especially regarding Creolization and the formation of Atlantic Creoles) and can illuminate issues about the ethnicity of African slaves, the personhood and agency of those enslaved, the nature of kinship structures among the enslaved, and the survival of African cultural practices in the diaspora. Isaac evolved from the name Yitzchaq, derived from the Hebrew word, Lysander is a distinctive Greek name that could be thought of as a more creative cousin of Alexander. i have no way to confirm this. It can be a difficult path, but just might be reachable. My fathers name was Gilbert Jackson, and after I was set free I took the name of my father, and have been known by the name Smith Jackson. They were all sold to different owners: Connell, Rose, Johnson, and Hughes respectively. The box for father states unknown in law. Her marriage record states her name is Sarah Charlotte Gale, her father being John Sinclair Gale! Gradually, to show contempt for Slaves, the captors used Buck and Wench for naming the genders till they became trade terms, like Filly and Shoat.Contempt for the male was removing his honorific attachment to fatherhood and manhood by being addressed as Boy. Once the vigorous years of his prime were passed, he was allowed to assume the title of Uncle. Females were called Gal, girl, or the name of some animal. A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. The poster on each page *provides the link to the handout* for that lecture, so be sure to copy it. They are part of Records of the U.S. Customs Service . The association with the infamous Nero, the fiddling Roman emperor, would be unavoidable. I belonged to him until emancipation. What remains utterly amazing to me is that in the worst of circumstances, and in spite of every attempt to crush any idea that slaves were anything other than commodities, slaveholders did not succeed. Former slaves often made up surnames based on their occupations. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one", "Friends are God's apologies for relations. Robyn. I found in the Civil War registry, an enslaved man who enrolled in the infantry under the name of Wash Ellis. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I belonged to him until emancipation. There are a wide array of sources that provide us with slave surnames, from the slave narratives and interviews, to freedmans bank cards, runaway ads and Southern Claims Commission records. Special slave censuses were kept in the early 1800s. 2023 Nameberry.com.Nameberry is a registered trademark of Nameberry, LLC. .When I got home after the war, I was wearing the name of Lewis Smith, but I found that the negroes after freedom, were taking the names of their father like the white folks. Former slaves often used surnames names of historical figures such as Washington, Jefferson or Jackson. I am the identical person who was named called and known as Dick Lewis Smith before the Civil War and during the Civil War and until I returned home after my military service . Nat Turner's Rebellion One of the most famous slave revolts in American history came in 1831 when Nat Turner led a bloody uprising in Southampton County, Virginia. Each name was a clue to her origins. The brothers were sold when they were very young and remained with their last owners nearly thirty years. Hi Jann, Even tiny steps are huge in someones life. The Missouri Compromisealso referred to as the Compromise of 1820was an agreement between the pro- and anti-slavery factions regulating slavery in the western territories. See footnotes for source information. This event is $12. A. I was first called by that name in the family of Col. Morrow in whose service I was in Louisville, Ky., just after the war. Post Author: Post published: 18 avril 2022; Post Category: . Ho Joanne, Women tended to have two names, and slaves often just had one. Many enslaved people were allowed to keep their original African names or names assigned them elsewhere (as reflected by the frequency of Spanish and Portuguese names among the first generation of enslaved people in the Carolinas.) Because I like to let formerly enslaved people speak for themselves, here are several examples of freedmen and women discussing their surnames. As enslavement continued through the 1800s, African American culture included naming practices that were national in scope by the time of emancipation, and intimately related to the slave trade. This financial assistance was available to all Civil War veterans and their families. And you get to tell the story of Jean-Louiss life in slavery and also in freedom. Manifests - Alphabetical by Slave Names Return to Slave Manifests main page Click on each Slave name to view information on that voyage. -Unknown, "Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city;)" Alfred "Teen" Blackburn (1842-1951), one of the last living survivors of slavery in the United States who had a clear recollection of it. Ive taken back reclaimed some of that lost memory, especially that of my enslaved ancestors. Thats high on my to do list. There are certainly methods you can used to try to verify some of the storyyou can look for Carrington and Williams slaveholders in the area in which your ancestor lived in the 1870 census. My maiden surname is Williams. The result was the birth of mulatto, quadroon, or mustee (mestee) children. American slave owners or slaveholders were owners of slaves in the United States which typically worked either as agriculture laborers or house servants. Phone: 314-994-3300, Hours & Locations Comments/Suggestions314-994-3300, Copyright 2023. Q. Fernsby, (Old English Origin) Derived from the old English words meaning "fern farmstead". I hope youll sign up to receive my postsif you do, youll get a free PDF with some of my favorite tips! Hi Jim, You are the continuation of each of these people." Peneus saved Daphne from Apollos romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. Feel free to contact me directly if you have more questions or need some assistance. Until recently, scholarly consensus was that early African American names did not differ significantly from those of white Americans. -Unknown, "If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you might as well make it dance!" I am the applicant for pension on account of having served in Co. B. See flier here. The different spellings are due to the non-consistent spelling rules in Norway in the 1700s and 1800s. We had to register as someone, so we could be citizens. ", "Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city;)", "Where does the family start? Thanks for this very thoughtful article. Over time, East Tennessee, hilly and dominated by small farms, retained the fewest number of slaves. The Genealogy Source Table Collection includes 10 blank, editable source tables for death certificates, city directories, obituaries and funeral programs. James) will have . I mean, really retro. Slaveholders often renamed newly acquired slaves; but self-naming by slaves, which also occurred, is likely to be underreported in the records, which were mainly created by and for slaveholders. Besides the Morrows, whom else did you live with in Louisville? At your request I have finally made available for viewing past popular webinars! Once the slaves were freed they found they did need another name besides a given name. This blog is where I share family history methods, resources, tips and advice, with an emphasis on slave research, slavery and its aftermath. How did you ever come by the name of "Mollie"? A. This was the case with several others from Wessyngton. Delva The 2000 U.S. Census counted 163,036 people with the surname Washington. You are the continuation of each of these people.". The most common origin for surnames is that enslaved people initially used the surname of either their mother or their father, if they knew what those names were. A favorite of British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose has an air of blooming well-being and upper-class erudition. I hope you dont mind my sharing those posts. I was only three years old when she died. After emancipation, he became William Smith. Bernard Meaning: brave warrior Origin: French 4. Surnames like Chantimel have disappeared, while names like Horsford and Ackie, coming from Antigua (where they are common), or Quarless, Dowden, Chandler, and Dottin from Barbados, have enriched Grenada's family history and cultural identity. After emancipation, he moved back with his mother, brothers and sisters and used the Cobbs surname. One thing I envy about the Catholic church is the baptisms available for even the enslaved people there. This is true in some cases but not all. Turner was deeply religious,. See flier for details; cost of this event is $25. Slavery existed in the United States from its founding in 1776 and became the main . All rights reserved. Edmon S. Conner Recalls About His Career", "Law and the Cultural Production of Race and Racialized Systems of Oppression", "Runaway Slaves and Servants in Colonial Virginia", Slavery in the Courtroom: An Annotated Bibliography of American Cases, "Soldier of Furtune: John Smith before Jamestown", "YSTUMLLYN, JOHN ('Jack Black') (d. 1786), gardener and land steward | Dictionary of Welsh Biography", "Strong, Jonathan (c. 17471773), de facto freed slave", "Juan Francisco Manzano | Slave Narratives | The MoAD Salon | MoAD - Museum of the African Diaspora", "Relatos sobre la India Juliana. Lori Wilson Picks Up Baton to Remove Slavery Language From Californias Constitution, New Assembly Bill Would Ban Use of Police Canines for Arrests, Crowd Control, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Unique Surnames to Grenada. Abel, et al. The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation: Stories of My Familys Journey to Freedom, A Thank You Letter from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Plantation Records Key Link to African American Past . You should give a TED talk! Isaiah derives from the Hebrew Yeshayahu, containing the elements. It means 'clerk' or 'secretary'. The majority of these slaves used the surname Lewis instead of Washington. Melvin, Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. In fact, it's not even past. Seating is limited. This lifelong quest has helped me to better know my familys past. . It was after emancipation on that I went back to work for Col. Morrow and where I got the name Lottie, as already explained. Many of the graves are unmarked or the markers have been damaged, but many descendents still live around here, so we hope to identify as many of the possible graves as we can. Chapter 4 gives a brief and introductory outline of naming in the United States during slavery and its consequences in African American culture. He decided that he didnt want to be known as Cap Sherrod and that he would vote and marry under his choice of names. And even though slave marriages were not legal, many enslaved people followed the practice of the wife taking her husbands surname: My mother was named Mary Bradley and my father was named Hilliard Bradley. Another common way of distinguishing people would be 'son of', for example Johnson (son of John), Richardson, Wilson, Harrison etc. A krio from.Freetown Sierra Leone. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one" In many cases this is ignored and children use their fathers name! The difficulties include using records that provide no surnames, the constant sale and breakup of families, and the lack of identification of fathers. No superior alternative has yet been found. Elijah is derived from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, composed of the elements. Proving their identity as former soldiers often revealed some of the most detailed explanations for former slaves choice of surnames. Login Forgot . In more than thirty years of researching my ancestors and hundreds of others enslaved on one of Americas largest plantations, slaves owned by mid-sized planters and small farmers, reviewing thousands of documents I have come across various situations that might give others clues on what to look for. The name James has been a popular Victorian male names in the 1800s. I was called by that name all the time I was with the Morrows. I dont know what became of his parents. Others were more promiscuous. The Voice of the Black Community in California, Last Updated on October 14, 2010 by Paulette Brown-Hinds. Its knowledge that I think most Americans (not even just white Americans) dont have and it is endlessly fascinating and sobering both at the same time. This event is $25. A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. . This reading contains quoted text not authored by Facing History & Ourselves. My maternal grandmother was an Auber. Ninety percent of them were African-American, a far higher black percentage than for any other common name. . My mother then told me my fathers name was John Barnett, a white man, and I took up the name Barnett., My mothers name was Jane and she was called Jane Nunn because she belonged to the Nunns. A. Mary Deborah Petite, "1836 Facts about the Alamo and the Texas War for Independence". Caps statement implies that choosing his own surname was a part of exercising his newfound freedom. This financial assistance was available to all Civil War veterans and their families. Plus, Jonah comes with a ready-made nursery-decorating motif. 3. Danish West Indies, Denmark, Records of Enslaved People, 1672-1917 In 1850, Ward. "The past is not dead. 1. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher. Cheryll Cody, "'There Was No Absalom on the Ball Plantation': Slave-Naming Practices in the South Carolina Low Country, 1720-1865," American Historical Review 92 (June 1987). This mini-lesson helps students define the term, learn what forms reparations can take, and consider what reparations should be offered for slavery and other racist policies. Injurious Names: Naming, Disavowal, and Recuperation in Contexts of Slavery and Emancipation. In The Anthropology of Names and Naming. this page. . Even worse, during this period, many African Americanssome using surnames for the very first timechanged their surnames once or even several times. On another branch, members of the Griffin family from around Campbell County VA all stuck together and are believed to have kept family bonds & name of their father after Emancipation. She served that family for a long time, perhaps more clues to her past lie in his family roots. BRATHWAITE - This name was derived from a geographic location in the north of England. After emancipation, they all used the Terry surname because their families had been with the white Terry family for generations. This is such a well-written and informative post one that I know will open many eyes to the complexity of slave surnames, as well as many other aspects of the lives of the enslaved. So just a few things to be aware of when researching any African-American ancestors. Baby Name Generator. Mining the Census: Are You Finding Every Clue? Well, Ive gone off on a tangent again;) But thank you again for writing and thank you for the cemetery work (especially trying to include African-Americans you are doing that will be of benefit to others. After the war ended and slavery was abolished, they exercised their freedom by changing their names. Other common surnames included Jones, Matthews, Sinclair, and Bennett, Price, and Gray.. - Jane Howard, "Friends are God's apologies for relations." Enslaved women were raped, creating children with white fathers who in most cases did not claim them and even sold them away. Whereas names withAfrican, classical, or other unique origins were popular during enslavement, --- often continuingfrom one generation to the next and creating a distinctive nomenclature unlike that of southern whites -- free black peopleoften used more traditionally Anglicized versions of their first names. Harriet Tubman and some of the slaves she helped free. Here, our list of notable early African American names. There has been much debate among scholars, historians and genealogists whether enslaved African Americans used the surnames of their last owners, previous owners, or a surname that had no connection to slavery. In 1870, he is listed as John Washington. I worked for him as nurse for his children, and my full and correct name was OCTAVIA, but the family could not catch on to that long name and called me LOTTIE for short. The table below shows the most common last names with statistics on the heritage and ancestry of those with the surname. . 1760-1810 Persons declared to be "white by law" or "free" (part 1), (part 2) at Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library. There are 15 tables, blank and editable for you to populate, as well as samples of using each. There has been disagreement about whether it was slaveholders or the enslaved who gave the recorded names. In 1800, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman were able to escape their terrible life of enslavement and were able to help other slaves trapped in a world of forced labour and grant them freedom once again due to the Underground Railroads that helped him, his partner Anna Murray Douglas and many other fugitives sneak away from the horrible Examples include: Francois, Jean, Pierre, and Leon for men; and Manon, Delphine, Marie Louise, Celeste, and Eugenie for women. In 2001, I began a process of transcribing names of some of the largest slaveholders and matching the surnames with numbers of African Americans on the 1870 . Who called you by that name and where was it done? Some of them developed a long-term relationship with one of the female slaves. Through a video-based activity, students examine Americas struggle for a stronger democracy during Reconstruction and today. I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. They are recorded with the Ashby surname on subsequent documents. that lists the slaves along with their surnames. There are issues, too, about how to interpret the recorded names, which have been classified in different ways depending on researchers interests. A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. Many of the former slaves and some free people of color took the first name of their father, mother and sometimes former slaveowner as their last. Thanks for writing this post! Surnames. I would also recommend Elizabeth Shown Mills various case studies on enslaved people in Louisiana, which you can find at her website at https://www.historicpathways.com/articles.html. Hi Rodney, 2023 The Voice of the Black Community in California. A. FamilySearch Centers. This had a profound impact on the Selfhood of each of the enslaveddisrupting ones presumed Mission in life, as indicated by ones name; shattering the sharing of personal and historical experiences, attitudes, and spirits towards life; and putting in disarray the philosophy of life framework and common sense values by which all Africans lived. African Americans tended to use surnames associated with their own families instead of the last slave owner.
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