Watertown MA History

Slavery developed hand-in-hand with the founding of the United States, weaving into the commercial, legal, political, and social fabric of the new nation and thus shaping the way of life of both the North and the South. Myths & Misunderstandings: The North and Slavery (The American Civil War Museum)

Recently, I helped a family friend research her family history in the southern states of Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee and North Carolina. Her understanding was that her father’s forebears were just “hard working, poor dirt farmers” (which they were). Going back past her great-great grandparents, I did identify a handful of families that worked/owned small farms and owned slaves. So we both share the fact that in our distant past, we are the descendants of slave owners, a discovery that we share with President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and countless others.

The truth is that slavery was not just a “southern thing” and that it wasn’t until 1804 that all of the Northern states had abolished slavery or set measures in place to gradually abolish it. The 1754 Massachusetts slave census listed 2,720 slaves (Children under 16 were not counted). The census for Lexington listed 13 men and 11 women as slaves. Slavery was not abolished in Massachusetts until 1783.

In Servants For Life, I wrote about my 6th great paternal grandparents, Jonathan Bowers (1674-1744) and Hannah Barrett Bowers (1679-1765), who were slave owners in Billerica, Massachusetts. In a separate post about my 4th great-grandfather, Bildad Fowler, I noted his witnessing a bill of sale for the purchase of a slave (Pegg) in 1761. (Connecticut “the Georgia of the North” – Witness to Slavery)

I recently discovered that my 7^th great uncle, Francis Bowman Jr. (1662-1744) of Lexington (MA), was the owner of four slaves: Battiss, Phylliss, Pompy and Domini. His biography states, that “he was a prominent man in Lexington, long holding the offices of justice of the peace, assessor, selectman, and assessor.” I was unable to ascertain if his brother (and my 7th g-grandfather), Joseph Bowman also owned slaves.

Trivia – Joseph Bowman is the 6th great grandfather of actor John Lithgow, which makes him a distant cousin of mine!

Comments, corrections and suggestions appreciated.

Not Just a Southern Thing