Free Blacks in the Seventeenth Century

Free Blacks in the Seventeenth Century

In the early sixteen-hundreds there were nearly equal opportunities for blacks and whites in the New World, most specifically in Virginia. One African-American man in particular exemplifies this fact. Anthony Johnson escalated in society from being a slave1 to becoming a wealthy landowner with slaves of his own.2 The successes of this man both economically and socially provide a rather important window into the lives and opinions of the peoples in Virginia at the time, especially the black community and their treatment by their fellow white agriculturalists.

“Antonio a Negro” arrived in Virginia in 1621 as a servant on a tobacco plantation, it was during his servitude that he met his wife Mary who had been bought to work at the same location several years after Anthony. Although it still remains a mystery how Anthony and Mary accumulated their wealth, they managed to buy their way out of servitude and acquire land of there own.3 They were not alone in this endeavor, however; it is known that several free blacks were able to advance in society in similar fashion. In the years between the mid 17th century into the later part of the century blacks were able to acquire land and status in the Virginian society. This proves that racial prejudices were subtle in this time span. In a society of even minimal equality in race it is possible for blacks to succeed alongside the white community.

In the 18th century the lifestyle...