Slavery: Revolutionary Era
The Revolutionary War (1775-1783) was an opportunity for American colonists to be free from Britain, but it was also an opportunity for the 20% of Americans who were slaves to be free from the colonists. The British Governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, offered immediate freedom to American slaves who could make their way to British lines. George Washington, who owned more than 300 slaves, said that Lord Dunmore was an “arch traitor” for promising to free American slaves. Several of General Washington’s 300 plantation slaves, and his personal slave Henry Washington, ran away to the British lines and freedom.
The slave Ralph Henry, apparently inspired by his master Patrick Henry’s proclamation of “Give me liberty, or give me death,” also found his liberty behind British lines.
Maryland and Virginia allowed free blacks to join Washington’s army, but not slaves. Many slaves left their masters anyway, to join the British side. All together, between 80,000 and 100,000 slaves ran away from colonial plantations during the Revolutionary War.
By the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783, about 20,000 former slaves were living in the British enclaves of Savannah, Charleston, and New York. During peace negotiations with the British, General Washington agreed to let these slaves go. The former slaves, and the loyalists who had lost everything by siding with the British, packed onto hundreds of ships leaving America.
Some of the former slaves were taken by unscrupulous ship owners to Caribbean islands where they were sold into slavery again. Others were taken to England, and others, after a failed attempt at settling inhospitable Nova Scotia, returned to Africa where they founded the African nation of Sierra Leone.
Henry Mudd (1730-1810)
Dr. Samuel Mudd’s great-grandfather was another Henry Mudd (1730-1810). His life spanned the American Revolution. “Harry,” as he was called, was born a British subject in colonial Maryland, but died a citizen of the new United States of America. He was too old to serve the American cause in the Revolutionary War (1775-1783), but records indicate that up to twenty-one other Mudds did serve.
Harry was the first of Thomas Mudd’s eight children. He and his wife Blanche Spalding Mudd had two sons and four daughters. When Harry died, he divided his slaves among his surviving children and grandchildren. His son Alexius had died before him. Note that Harry mentions none of his slaves by name. This must have resulted in quite some confusion about who got which slave.
Henry left his son Henry Thomas Mudd “three negroes.”
He left his grandson Henson Mudd “two negroes, two tables, and one desk.”
He left his granddaughters Mary Ann Mudd, Harriot Mudd, Kitty Mudd, and Matilda Mudd “two negro slaves.”
He left to the three youngest sons of his daughter Mary Simms, viz. Aloysius, Joseph, and Alexius, “two negroes to be divided among them.”
He left his granddaughter Cecily Spalding “one negro boy.”
He left his daughter Mary Eleanor Elder “two slaves.”
He left his granddaughter Elizabeth Elder “a negress, and if Elizabeth Elder should die without issue, the slave and her issue to be divided among the brothers of Elizabeth Elder.”
Harry was the first of Thomas Mudd’s eight children. He and his wife Blanche Spalding Mudd had two sons and four daughters. When Harry died, he divided his slaves among his surviving children and grandchildren. His son Alexius had died before him. Note that Harry mentions none of his slaves by name. This must have resulted in quite some confusion about who got which slave.
Henry left his son Henry Thomas Mudd “three negroes.”
He left his grandson Henson Mudd “two negroes, two tables, and one desk.”
He left his granddaughters Mary Ann Mudd, Harriot Mudd, Kitty Mudd, and Matilda Mudd “two negro slaves.”
He left to the three youngest sons of his daughter Mary Simms, viz. Aloysius, Joseph, and Alexius, “two negroes to be divided among them.”
He left his granddaughter Cecily Spalding “one negro boy.”
He left his daughter Mary Eleanor Elder “two slaves.”
He left his granddaughter Elizabeth Elder “a negress, and if Elizabeth Elder should die without issue, the slave and her issue to be divided among the brothers of Elizabeth Elder.”
Alexius Mudd (1765-1800)
Harry’s son Alexius Mudd (1765-1800), who died before Harry, was Dr. Mudd’s grandfather. His wife was Jane Edelen Mudd.
Alexius’ will bequeathed his land to his wife Jane “during her widowhood,” and thereafter to his two sons when they reached adulthood. As was the custom at the time, land passed from father to sons, not daughters. When Alexius died in 1800, his daughter Sarah Ann Mudd was six, his son Thomas Alexander Mudd was three, and his son Henry Lowe Mudd (Dr. Samuel Mudd’s father) was two.
Alexius’ bequeath of slaves to his minor sons is a bit complicated:
...the following negroes viz. Joe, Mary, and Hannah together with their increase to be equally divided between my two sons when my eldest son Thomas Alexander Mudd arrives at the age of twenty-one years then his equal part of the said negroes to be paid to him by my executor hereafter mentioned and my youngest son Henry Mudd to have his equal part of the said negroes paid to him by my executor when he arrives at the age of twenty-one years.
But in case that either of my two sons Thomas Alexander or Henry Mudd dies before they arrive at the age of twenty-one years, my will is that the survivor of them shall have the said three negroes together with the increase of them, or in case that both of my said two sons Thomas Alexander Mudd and Henry Mudd should die before they arrive at the age of twenty-one years, in that case my will and desire is that the said three negroes with their increase shall go to my daughter Sarah Mudd.
Alexius left his wife Jane “the following negroes viz. Primus, Watt, Peggy, Cecily and her youngest child Nelly.” There is no mention of Cecily’s older children. Presumably, Joe, Mary, and Hannah are her children. Once again, we see how slave families are torn apart at their owner’s death.
Two years after Harry Mudd died, the United States and Britain were at war again. This time, the hard fighting didn’t bypass Southern Maryland as it had in the Revolutionary War. British ships landed at Benedict, Maryland, just ten miles from the Mudd farms. British soldiers destroyed property and crops as they marched up through Southern Maryland to Washington, where they burned the White House and other Government buildings. As they had in the Revolutionary War, many slaves fled their owners to seek freedom with the British forces. Whether any of the Mudd slaves were among them is unknown.
Twenty Mudd family members are known to have served during the War of 1812.
Southern Maryland planters suffered greatly during the War of 1812. As in the Revolutionary War, farm production dropped because men left their farms to fight the British. The crops that were raised couldn’t get to market because the British Navy controlled the Chesapeake Bay and the rivers needed to ship farm products. But the young new nation was about to experience an explosion of growth and prosperity, albeit at the expense of its slaves.
Alexius’ will bequeathed his land to his wife Jane “during her widowhood,” and thereafter to his two sons when they reached adulthood. As was the custom at the time, land passed from father to sons, not daughters. When Alexius died in 1800, his daughter Sarah Ann Mudd was six, his son Thomas Alexander Mudd was three, and his son Henry Lowe Mudd (Dr. Samuel Mudd’s father) was two.
Alexius’ bequeath of slaves to his minor sons is a bit complicated:
...the following negroes viz. Joe, Mary, and Hannah together with their increase to be equally divided between my two sons when my eldest son Thomas Alexander Mudd arrives at the age of twenty-one years then his equal part of the said negroes to be paid to him by my executor hereafter mentioned and my youngest son Henry Mudd to have his equal part of the said negroes paid to him by my executor when he arrives at the age of twenty-one years.
But in case that either of my two sons Thomas Alexander or Henry Mudd dies before they arrive at the age of twenty-one years, my will is that the survivor of them shall have the said three negroes together with the increase of them, or in case that both of my said two sons Thomas Alexander Mudd and Henry Mudd should die before they arrive at the age of twenty-one years, in that case my will and desire is that the said three negroes with their increase shall go to my daughter Sarah Mudd.
Alexius left his wife Jane “the following negroes viz. Primus, Watt, Peggy, Cecily and her youngest child Nelly.” There is no mention of Cecily’s older children. Presumably, Joe, Mary, and Hannah are her children. Once again, we see how slave families are torn apart at their owner’s death.
Two years after Harry Mudd died, the United States and Britain were at war again. This time, the hard fighting didn’t bypass Southern Maryland as it had in the Revolutionary War. British ships landed at Benedict, Maryland, just ten miles from the Mudd farms. British soldiers destroyed property and crops as they marched up through Southern Maryland to Washington, where they burned the White House and other Government buildings. As they had in the Revolutionary War, many slaves fled their owners to seek freedom with the British forces. Whether any of the Mudd slaves were among them is unknown.
Twenty Mudd family members are known to have served during the War of 1812.
Southern Maryland planters suffered greatly during the War of 1812. As in the Revolutionary War, farm production dropped because men left their farms to fight the British. The crops that were raised couldn’t get to market because the British Navy controlled the Chesapeake Bay and the rivers needed to ship farm products. But the young new nation was about to experience an explosion of growth and prosperity, albeit at the expense of its slaves.
