Slavery in the Economy of Rusk County 1843-1860

Author

Almond L. Gholston, Prairie View A&M College

Date of Award

8-1953

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Degree Discipline

History

Abstract

In light of the suspicions of the writer with reference to the labor theory of plantation slavery as stated in the above problem, it is the purpose of this paper to try and give a more logical reason for the fanatical cleaverage to slavery, since it has been proven to be both unethical end unprofitable.

This writer shall attempt to answer for his benefit and the benefit of the reader the following questions: 1. What was the actual market value of slaves with reference to age and sex? 2. What was the role of the slave in the acquisition of public land? 3. What was the role of the slave in the socio-economic status of the southern planter? 4. What was the role of the slave in the probate transactions in the plantation system? 5. Why there was such a fanatical cleaverage to slavery knowing that it was unprofitable from the start? 6. Where did the land-poor agrarian planter turn for liquid capital in an emergency transaction, which involved a large sum of money? 7. What was the value of the slave in comparison to the other holdings of the plantation owner?

The scope of this paper will begin around 1843, which is the date on which the First Legislature of the Republic of Texas passed an Act creating Rusk County, and will close around 1860, which is considered the beginning of the end for the slave plantation system in the south. The material for this paper consists of around one hundred and thirty-eight cases, gathered from archives of old newspapers, county Probate Records, Deed Records, Diaries, maps and Tax Records, having dates corresponding with the scope dates.

Committee Chair/Advisor

G. R. Woolfolk

Publisher

Prairie View A&M College

Rights

Date of Digitization

9-9-2021

Contributing Institution

John B Coleman Library

City of Publication

Prairie View

MIME Type

Application/PDF

Recommended Citation

Gholston, A. L. (1953). Slavery in the Economy of Rusk County 1843-1860. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/pvamu-theses/378