Civil War

Slave Owner In South Carolina


October 1859 – John Brown’s Raid On Harpers Fairy:
Diary Entry – here I am frightened, my family and I don’t know what to do. Either we stay where we are or flee to the South. However, if we leave we will have to sale the slaves and start our plantation all over again. Tensions between the North and the South are high. John Brown has become impatient with the lack of action in the country over slavery. He kept saying that all that was needed was action to do something once and for all, to bring an end to slavery. He believed that he could be a one-man instrument to this decision. Anyway, my family and I thought it over and decided to stay at our home. We watched for any slaves that we did not recognize. We have a few house slaves that trust a lot, but now they are armed and we have lost some trust. We have been taking everything slowly and the slaves are getting back to work on the plantation.


May 1860 – The Democratic Presid...