Why should Virginians have to bear the entire debt? Zephaniah Turner raised this question repeatedly before the House of Delegates in Richmond. In the eyes of Turner, West Virginians were just as responsible for payment as Virginians, seeing as how the debt had existed before dismemberment of the state. Turner blasted Virginia's political representatives for rattling on about preserving honor when...
Emma Mordecai was enjoying the pleasantly cool weather when a very disagreeable affair concerning the servants disturbed her afternoon. The conflict began when the henwife, Georgiana, asked her mother, Sarah, to help her manage the chickens. Sarah then complained of being overworked and provoked the ire of her mistress and the master. In addition, Emma mentioned that Cyrus, Sarah's husband, behaved...
Reverend Hamilton W. Pierson traveled throughout the antebellum South as a member of the American Bible Society. In the years following the war, however, he settled down in Andersonville, Georgia, and sought to spread political voice to freedmen. His intentions were motivated by a humanitarian desire to assist the freedmen adjust to their new lives. His efforts at ensuring the enfranchisement of blacks...
Beginning in 1838, Washington County registered its 144 free blacks in a notebook by describing their physical attributes. Following regulations set by the state mandating free black registration, James H. Trufs journeyed to the county clerk's office to register himself. The first entry, which labels Trufs as number one, describes him as a dark mulatto. Included in the description is his age, height,...
The feud between the city of Richmond and the Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad Company reached Virginia's Supreme Court of Appeals. Fredericksburg & Potomac had violated Richmond's laws, the city claimed, by running its steam- propelled cars through Broad Street. According to an ordinance passed on September 8, 1873, no vehicle of any kind was allowed to traverse that specific lane, the most important...
The people of the Union heard from a defiant Jefferson Davis on January 5, 1863. Northern leaders had degraded you and themselves, he criticized, by inviting the co-operation of the black race with Abraham Lincoln's proclamation freeing slaves in the Confederacy and inviting them into the North's army and navy. Just before, the Union had been condemning the South for seeking the intervention of the...
Internal improvements in the South were underway. The turnpike project near the South Carolina border was going to start next year by the bidder who could complete the project in the fewest years. The expectations were for the road to be completed within three years and to be paid for with bonds and security loans. The project was being headed up by four commissioners who would be in charge of deciding...
Following the death of John C. Calhoun, Congress passed a bill concerning the admission of California as a state. The bill, classified as unfair to the Southern cause by the Keowee Courier, was protested by Southern senators in particular Senator Badger. The Courier reflected on the prudence of how to protect Southern rights within the senate proceedings. Concerns were expressed regarding what the...
The bank of United States had been extremely controversial but South Carolina had chartered a state bank in 1812 for 22 years and then re-charted it. During debates for the December Legislative session, several people, including the governor, presented their opinions to defend the bank. Benjamin Yancey, after summarizing the previous remarks, passionately defended the bank. He provided a brief history...
There were always fears of slave rebellions. In a letter dated October 13th, 1849, from E.W. Cooper, Thomas Cassels Law learned of a Negro insurrection in his home district of Darlington, South Carolina. Cooper served on an investigating committee to respond to the matter. Although they could not gather sufficient evidence to have the four leading insurrectionists hanged, they were lodged in jail and...