Latta Slaves

Slavery is a difficult subject, both because the modern mind cannot understand how it could have been accepted and because it played such an important role, including at Historic Latta Plantation.

Wealth was often measured in slaves, and by backcountry standards, James Latta was a wealthy man. James was one of a small number of slave holders in Mecklenburg County. In the entire time that slavery was legal, less than 10 per cent of the people in the area owned a slave, and those that did usually owned one or two, a man to help in the fields and/or a woman to help in the house. Historic Latta Plantation research has resulted in a Time Line of Slave Activity, which shows that, in 1830, James owned 23 adults and 11 children.

Not much is known about these people, the Latta slaves. Thirty-three names have been uncovered, but little more . Most were field hands. Some were house servants. A number were probably skilled artisans. What their lives were like and how they lived has to be guessed at using knowledge about slavery at other places, about the Lattas' personalities and business dealings, and about the plantation itself. There are some bits of information about two slaves Suckey and Peter.

A letter written by James Latta to his son-in-law Rufus Reid concerns the sale of some of his slaves.

This letter indicates that James Latta was beginning to cut back his plantation operations. Between this time and the fall of 1833, James attempted to sell almost all of his slaves. This could be due to failing health: James was seventy-eight years old in 1833, and by 1836, his son Robert was given guardianship over his father. Or, it could have been due to the decline in cotton prices. Receipts of neighbor James Torrance show that cotton prices were 30 cents per pound in June 1816 and only 5 1/2 to 8 1/2 cents by October 1831.

The letter also shows something about James' attitude toward his slaves. In one instance, he wanted Louie "at some distance." Whether or not this meant selling Louie away from his family, we do not know, but such sales were used as punishment for "troublesome" slaves. At the same time, he seemed to be trying to keep a small family unit together by requesting that "John, Sarah, and her child" be sold for a single price and a relatively low one. Perhaps this indicates that James was capable of being both punitive and compassionate.

"Was James Latta good to his slaves" is an impossible question to really answer. By the standards of the early 19th century, probably he was. By today's standards, he was not: keeping people as slaves is not being good to them, even if they are fed and sheltered.

Historic Latta Plantation hopes to learn more about the Latta slaves through a special project called "Finding the Story." Slave artifacts are non-existant at Latta Plantation. Archeological studies have been unable to determine the location of slave quarters. "Finding the Story" and any additional evidence that can be uncovered will be very valuable to the future portrayal of life on the plantation as it really was in the early 19th century.