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RICHMOND, Virginia in the 1850s: 1 through 8 of 8

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  1. The Tobacco Trade in Virginia
    date January 1, 1853map RICHMOND, Virginiatags Economy

    As an appointed Commission Merchant of Virginia, William Brown was responsible for reporting on many markets. However, in 1850's Virginia, there was really only one market that was truly booming, and that was tobacco. His analysis of the Virginia tobacco trade was the most important aspect of his job, as the economic prosperity of Virginia walked hand in hand with the fortunes of the tobacco industry....

  2. The Pains of Being a Democrat in Richmond
    date November, 1855 to January, 1856map RICHMOND, Virginiatags Crime/Violence, Politics, Urban-Life/Boosterism

    In 1855, John Sergeant Wise, the young son of the newly elected Governor Henry Wise, was desperately trying to adapt to his new home in Richmond, Virginia. Having previously come from a rural town, John Wise was mocked by his schoolmates for being a provincial bumpkin. However, most of the abuse from his fellow students was due to his father's political persuasion as a Democrat. In one particular...

  3. Journey in the Seaboard Slave States
    date 1856map RICHMOND, Virginiatags Slavery, Slave Trade, Slave States

    "Slavery is such an atrocious debasement of human nature, that its very extirpation, if not performed with solicitous care, may sometimes open a source of serious evils," Olmstead quoted this from Benjamin Franklin. In 1856, an Englishman, Frederick Law Olmstead, wrote A journey in the seaboard slave states. It is about his long journey in the seaboard slave states of Virginia, North Carolina,...

  4. The Ledger of a Slave Trader
    date January 2, 1857 to January 31, 1857map RICHMOND, Virginiatags African-Americans, Economy, Slavery

    For Mlle. Templeman and Goodwin of Richmond, Virginia, January 2 to the 31 in 1857 was a time of rather lucrative business.They sold a great deal of merchandise and had made a significant amount of profit. In fact, their sales business had seen mostly boon time since they first established in Richmond in 1849. However, for their merchandise, times were not so good. They found their families torn...

  5. The Effects of the Dred Scott Decision
    date March 10, 1857map RICHMOND, Virginiatags African-Americans, Law, Slavery

    The Dred Scott decision of March 6, 1857, brought to a head the tension surrounding the issue of slavery in the United States.In the case, the Supreme Court ruled that Scott was still a slave, and therefore, and no right to file suit in a United States court as he was not a citizen and did not have the rights of such.The Enquirer, a Democratic newspaper, greeted this decision with great applause.The...

  6. The Legal Rights of Women in Richmond
    date September 11, 1858map RICHMOND, Virginiatags Law, Women

    By all accounts, Frances Taylor was a kind woman and a caring mother. As such, she wanted to make sure that her children would be financially secure in the event of her passing. The best way that she saw fit to do this was to sell some of the lands she possessed for profit, and to pass the others down through her line. While she legally owned the property, she enlisted the aid of her husband, D.B.,...

  7. A Private Army in Virginia
    date 1859map RICHMOND, Virginiatags Government, War

    In the writings of his autobiography, TJ Macon recorded with great pride,that in 1859, he joined the First Company Richmond Howitzers,a militia artillery unit that drilled in the city and was composed of volunteers from the surrounding area. Macon was also quick to state that he later served in combat with this unit during the war between the states.Serving in such a unit was special to Macon because...

  8. The Southern Response to Harper's Ferry
    date October 18, 1859map RICHMOND, Virginiatags Crime/Violence, Slavery, War

    In October of 1859, with tensions already running high, Americans were stunned to read of the violent raid being conducted by abolitionist John Brown, in the sleepy Virginia rail junction of Harpers Ferry.News traveled slowly, and there was a great deal of speculation about the details and severity of the raid.On the morning of October 18, Richmonders were relying on an editorial in The Richmond Whig...